Details of Cars

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: the seven-seat flagship SUV

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Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class X166
Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class (X166). Photo by Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, now called GLS, is a full-size luxury SUV produced since 2006. In every generation it is a three-row, seven-seat vehicle positioned above the GLE.

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class at a glance

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class key facts
Produced since 2006
Role three-row, seven-seat luxury SUV
Position above the GLE, flagship of the SUV line
First generation X164, 2006–2012
Second generation X166, from 2012
Renamed GLS 2016, with the facelifted X166
Third generation X167, 2019
Platform unibody, shared with the GLE
Assembly Mercedes plant in Alabama, with some early 2007 cars in Germany
Drive 4MATIC all-wheel drive only
Name G for Geländewagen, L linked to the S-Class

This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the GLS, which covers the GL-Class.

History of the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

The X164 GL-Class debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show and was released around the same time as the Audi Q7. It was the first full-size seven-seat SUV from a German manufacturer. Its engines were V8 petrol units and turbocharged V6 and V8 diesels, and all versions had 4MATIC four-wheel drive. Production ran from 2006 to 2012.

Mercedes-Benz GLS X167
Mercedes-Benz GLS (X167). Photo by Dinkun Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The second generation, X166, went on sale in September 2012 with start-stop, drive-by-wire steering and new turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. It also brought the first high-performance version, the GL 63 AMG with the hand-built M157 engine. After a facelift in 2016 the model was renamed GLS, following the new naming scheme in which SUVs use the base name GL and a letter for their place in the range: the G stands for Geländewagen and alludes to the G-Class, and the L links it to the S, making the GLS the SUV equivalent of the S-Class saloon.

The third generation, X167, was shown at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. At launch it offered a 3.0-litre turbo inline six in the GLS 450 and a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 in the GLS 580 and AMG GLS 63, both with EQ Boost electric assistance, and a 2.9-litre twin-turbo diesel inline six in two outputs. A Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC followed late in 2019. The car’s wheelbase grew by 2.3 inches and its width by almost an inch, and it gained MBUX with dual 12.3-inch screens and E-Active Body Control.

Design and features

  • Seven seats: three rows in every generation.
  • 4MATIC: all-wheel drive as the only option.
  • Flagship SUV: positioned above the GLE in the range.
  • AMG and Maybach versions: from the GL 63 to the Maybach GLS 600.

Mercedes-Benz GL-Class versions

  • X164 (2006–2012): the first GL-Class.
  • X166 (2012): second generation.
  • GL 63 AMG: high-performance version with the M157 engine.
  • GLS (2016): renamed facelift of the X166.
  • X167 (2019): third generation.
  • Maybach GLS 600 (2019): the most luxurious version.

The GL-Class sits above the M-Class and below the G-Class in spirit; the small version of the idea is the GLK. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.

Video: 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4MATIC

Video by YouTube on YouTube.

Sources

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