Even in today’s SUV-saturated market, the term “S-Class of the SUV world” carries plenty of heft. Because the S-Class has a way of staying at the top of the luxury pyramid, no matter what the competition might throw at it.
Which begs the question, can the new, S-Class-based GLS perform the same feat in a segment dominated by the Range Rovers of the world?
The good news is that when it comes to SUVs, Mercedes-Benz has the strongest portfolio in the country, and, according to a report in Autocar India, 57% of its sales come from the SUV segment.
The GLS marks the upper end of that segment, and is, quite simply the biggest Merc, south of a Unimog, that you’re likely to spot on Indian roads. I mean, this thing is an absolute unit. So big, in fact, that it prompted BMW to come up with its own asteroid-sized rival - the X7.
But size is far from the GLS’ most winsome attribute, although it does add immensely to its appeal.
Unlike the car formerly known as the GL-Class which was rechristened the GLS, as a mid-life rebranding exercise, the new GLS is actually all-new and perfectly aligned with Merc’s new SUV nomenclature, that makes each SUV a high-riding, rough-roading counterpart to one of their sedans.
Therefore the recently launched GLE LWB is based on the E-Class LWB, while the GLC is based on the C-Class sedan’s platform and so on. So there really is something to the “S-Class of the SUV world” line that Merc has coined-up.
The Big Draw
The GLS is available with two engine options, a straight-six, 3.0-litre turbo petrol and a straight-six, 3.0-litre, turbo diesel. The latter being the one tested here, and the preferred choice for GLS buyers, makes a healthy 330bhp with 700Nm of torque.
This is noticeably smoother than any 6-cylinder diesel I’ve encountered recently. And with good reason, since most happen to be of the V6 variety. While V-shaped engines usually have a brawnier character, I find the sheer, crease-free smoothness of the straight-six to have won me over. It only makes a muffled roar for the most part and is gratifyingly linear in its ascent to triple digits.
No, it’s not neck-snappingly quick. You’d have to be bonkers enough to go for the AMG-powered GLS for that, but power builds with steady assurance, and the GLS does high speeds with the same sort of stability and poise that most mammoth SUVs do.
There’s a bit of pitch and roll, but it’s slippery surface, paired with that phenomenal ‘Airmatic’ suspension gives it considerable poise and stability at high speeds.
On the highways, the GLS absolutely wafts over surfaces. The 9-speed gearbox is damn near seamless except when required to assist with hard acceleration. But in all the other instances, it works in unison with the throttle in a way that feels like you’re stepping on a cloud.
And while this sort of superlative praise might seem a bit much, it’s exactly here where the GLS wins.
You can get a relatively smooth engine from its rivals, you can get great ride quality. But a combination of smooth, seamless and fortified? That’s the GLS’ most winning attribute.
Of course, there’s also the sheer amount of tech it’s loaded with. The GLS gets the latest MBUX interface, with a large, seamless glass panel placed horizontally on the dash housing a 12.3” touchscreen and instrument cluster, both of which can be accessed via steering mounted controls. Much like everything else in the cockpit, the MBUX system feels intuitive and easy to use.
Even the column-mounted gear shifter on most Mercs, while not quite as tactile or high on quality as the one from Audi, for example, is ideally placed for easy shifting. It’s much the same with the MBUX system, which is assisted by voice control, crystalline graphics and a touchpad, which at this point seems rather redundant.
The cabin feels richly put together, with hand-stitched leather making its way onto the centre console, customisable ambient lighting and a panoramic sunroof that can be activated using voice command. You can even pre-cool the car by turning on the aircon remotely using Merc’s native connected car app.
Is it easy to live with?
I managed to clock some serious miles with the GLS over a span of nearly a week where it served as everything from a family carrier to a city runabout and a highway hauler of a considerable amount of luggage, utilising every inch of its 2400 litres of storage capacity with the middle and third row seats folded.
The steering feels uncannily light around the bends and that makes it particularly easy to tackle U-turns and narrow corners.
Unlike most SUVs which only have enough space for small children in the third row, the GLS can comfortably seat seven large-limbed adults. This automatically means that folding the rear seats opens up a small cave’s worth of storage space.
Camping trips, carrying delicate crockery, crystals or even Fabergé eggs – the GLS really is, up for it all. Even with all the seats up, there’s 355 litres of space. It’s also got a phenomenal cruising range. Despite covering over 375km, with generous doses of acceleration, the GLS still had another 270km to offer.
Verdict
As always, Merc has gone into the minutiae of ergonomic convenience, and despite having a wide array of infotainment features, the GLS feels familiar to operate, fairly early on into the drive. Mid-row comfort isn’t up there with the S-Class, but it is the best seat in the house.
Truth be told, many cars have the makings of “all the car you’ll ever need”, and the GLS falls squarely in that category. For its Rs 1.4 crore (on-road) price, you get three driving modes - Eco, Comfort and Off-road. The proper 48V E-Active Body Control, found on the GLE (for an additional 35 lakh) isn’t to be found here, in an effort to keep costs low.
But if it’s a boulder basher you’re looking for, perhaps the G350d is more your style. The GLS 400d 4Matic? That’s perfect for just about everything else.
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