2016 Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV ready for launch

After Audi & Jaguar Land Rover launched their flagship SUV’s for this year in India, it was only a matter of time, before the segment leader, responded in kind. News is now trickling in that Mercedes-Benz are gearing up to launch their latest iteration of their flagship SUV, the GLS. The Stuttgart based luxury vehicle manufacturer had already moved its sedans to the new naming system earlier. Now, with the launch of the new, seven-seater flagship, (Mercedes are calling it the ‘S-Class among SUV’s’), it is time for its SUV’s too to follow suit. 

As for the design changes, the flagship SUV now sports reworked LED based headlamp units. The bumpers and the grille too have been re-sculpted, giving the new-GLS a more purposeful look. Step inside, and you notice that Mercedes-Benz have given the cabin a thorough once-over as well. There’s a new steering wheel that sports a three-spoke arrangement. The infotainment & navigation system too has been redesigned and gets a touch-pad controller for added convenience. Apart from this, there’s the usual improvements in the features & comforts department which ensure that the SUV lives up to the ‘flagship’ status.

In terms of the drive-train improvements, the 3.0 litre V6 diesel engine will be carried over from before, though it is rumoured to come with several tweaks under the hood. Also, the 7G-TRONIC automatic gearbox is likely to be retired in favour of the newer 9G-TRONIC ‘box. The latter, with its specially designed hydrodynamic torque converter, is the first nine-speed automatic transmission in the world to be offered in its segment. With a claimed 6%+ fuel-efficiency gains over the outgoing version, together with faster gearshifts and the ability to skip individual ratios when needed, all promise to a faster, more refined drive. Aiding in this claim is the new, Dynamic Drive selector with up-to six individual driving modes. This along with the dedicated Off-Road PLUS mode should see the car wade through over 600mm of water without bothering its occupants.

All eyes will now be on the 18th of May, as the new, Mercedes-Benz GLS seven-seater flagship SUV is launched in India.