New Mercedes GLS sees the road ahead for a ‘magic carpet’ ride
Revised large SUV is even more luxurious than before, but new entry-level model will drop price...
On sale Late 2026 | Price from £100,000 (est)
When it comes to ultra high-end furniture, it’s not merely enough to use the very best materials, styled in a way that’ll stop people in their tracks and backed by the absolute finest craftsmanship. It needs to provide unrivalled comfort, too – fail to do that, and customers will look the other way.
And in many ways, that’s how you might look at the current Mercedes GLS: a titanic luxury SUV that’s loaded with tech, provides effortless performance and provides space for seven. But its appeal was dented by a ride that failed to smooth bumps and interior quality that failed to match the BMW X7 and Range Rover.
However, for the next version, due to go on sale late in 2026, the Mercedes GLS will sport a raft of improvements – including suspension that scans the road ahead 1000 times per second to glide over bumps, a massive, full-width infotainment screen and a boost in interior quality.
It’s that suspension which should make the biggest difference, though. Cloud-based connectivity allows the GLS to share data on road conditions with other Mercedes cars, allowing them to learn about the road surfaces in order to prime the suspension for the best ride. On the UK’s notoriously pockmarked roads, this could be a game changer – and could transform the car with a direct riposte to our biggest criticism.
While it’s hard to judge an improvement in interior quality (there are still one or two panels where quality doesn’t match the price), there’s no doubting the luxurious environment the new GLS provides. It’s a true seven-seater, with space for three rows of adults to sit in comfort – six footers will fit in the third row – and all will enjoy the lashings of high-quality leather, USB sockets and five-zone climate control.
All three second-row seats adjust electrically to slide fore and aft, fold to allow access to the back or fold completely. Do that, and there’s up to 2400 litres of boot space. However, with all seven seats in place, available space is similar to what you’ll find in a Volkswagen Polo.
The front seats have a vibration massage function, and the second-row passengers can have this as an option.
Front-seat occupants will be fronted by Mercedes’ new Superscreen – a trio of displays which stretch the entire width of the car behind one seamless panel. The system is backed by Mercedes’ new MB.OS operating system which uses AI and over-the-air updates to serve up regularly used features more seamlessly. However, potential buyers are more likely to be won over by the return to physical buttons on the steering wheel.
Four engines comprise the new GLS range – two petrol and two diesels – and all have been reengineered to deliver smoother and quieter power delivery. The 3.0-litre GLS 450 and 450d offer no more power than before, but the former has a little more torque and the later, along with the new entry-level 3.0-litre GLS 350d, have lighter engines than before and tech to get them to the optimum temperature faster.
The current GLS feels effortless on the move, so the new version should be even better.
There’s no official word on pricing at the moment, but it’s likely prices will rise slightly over today’s model. However, with the introduction of the new entry-level GLS 350d model, starting prices could be closer to £100,000 when it goes on sale at the end of the year.
Read more: Best luxury SUVs
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