Mercedes-Benz GLS

Mercedes-Benz has upgraded the GLS SUV range with a new addition to the family in the form of the AMG Line. It is available for both the petrol and diesel powertrains and is priced at Rs. 3 lakh more than the equivalent standard car. There are five exterior colour options for the AMG Line, and the vehicle that you see in our photos has been painted in a shade called Obsidian Black.

Up front, the grille gets a new colour scheme while the body coloured bumper is an AMG design with larger air aprons (compared to the regular car) and wider air inlet to enhance the overall sporty look. The black cladding above the wheel arches is now also body colour. ‘Shoes Maketh the Man’, and that is perhaps most applicable to this GLS AMG Line. Its biggest change on the outside is the AMG-spec five-spoke wheels, which are 21-inch units and one of the largest on offer in the market. It’s the only place on the car where you can see the word AMG written and they add a large dollop of styling to what is otherwise quite an understated package. The rear gets the same enhancements as the front in the form of body coloured bumpers and chrome exhaust tips with an AMG design.

The design is understated, but it is understandable in the way the car is already pretty big in presence and probably doesn’t need much more to be noticed when moving around or in a parked space. We would have liked at least one more AMG badge, either at the front or rear, to give that little extra that would really have helped the car stand out.

You get almost the same interior as the standard car but with some AMG Line enhancements. This list includes a new sporty steering wheel, floor mats and pedals, and that’s pretty much it. The rest of the car is standard GLS fare and can be had in any one of three colour schemes offered with this AMG Line package.

Let’s be clear about one thing: the GLS is massive inside with no issues about space across all three rows of seating. Up front, both the driver and passenger have their own zones thanks to the massive centre console. There is more than enough space across all dimensions, with this being enhanced even further thanks to the massive glasshouse and panoramic sunroof. Everything feels nice to touch and falls easily into the hand for quick access. While there is no doubt that the interior is high quality and well-built it is showing its age, especially when you compare it to some of the newer cars in this category from Mercedes themselves.

The GLS’s real party piece is its second row, where most owners will spend time. You get individual climate zones seat back screens, USB-C charging ports, powered seat controls, a plethora of storage spaces and a foldable centre console with cupholders and an in-built screen for controlling various functions in the car. Like the first row, it is spacious, airy and offers more than enough comfort to go long distances without feeling the fatigue of the journey. However, it is only available in a bench guise with no option for captain seats. The seats split and fold for access to the third row with a one-touch function.

Mercedes has dubbed this a 5+2, which indicates an optional nature of the third row in terms of usage. Given the car’s size, it is spacious, quite usable and does tumble down when you need additional storage in the boot. It’s 355 litres with the third row up, 1470 litres when folded down and 2400 litres when the second row is slid forward.

The 450d badge translates to a 3.0-litre inline-six diesel producing 362bhp and 750Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic, and you get AWD as standard across both engine options. Big car, big engine, a formula that you can’t go wrong with and one that has played to Mercedes’ aim of making this car feel as large and powerful as ever.

On the go, the powertrain makes easy work of lugging the car’s heavy frame around, allowing you to cruise easily at three-digit speeds when required. There is a minor lag when you put pedal to the metal, but the car gathers up speed quickly enough that you would hardly notice the lag, making Mercedes’ claim of a 0-100kmph in 6.1 seconds very much possible for something that weighs closer to two tonnes.

However, the thing that puts the GLS in a class of its own is the ride quality. Underpinned by an air suspension, the SUV can glide over anything and everything without you having to ever take your foot off the gas. Like its sibling, the G-Class, it gives you a feeling of invincibility when dealing with large potholes, speed breakers and imperfections on the road. In fact, the only reason you would need to exercise some caution is to ensure that you don’t damage those large 21-inch AMG spec wheels. The steering is surprisingly responsive for something of this size, and as has been the case with GLS of the past, it has that ability to shrink the car around you and make it that much easier to judge and navigate, especially in heavy traffic. We also have to add here that the car is very easy to judge in terms of its edges, thanks to the high sides and large glasshouse all around.

Finally, the insulation is pretty strong and is able to filter out most of what goes on outside with little drama, though when you put your foot down, the engine makes a sweet little rorty noise that comes through the cabin and adds to the overall driving experience.

Yes. Having anything AMG related is always one step above the ‘regular’ Mercedes owner, and for just an additional Rs. 3 lakh, the extras that this AMG Line package brings are well worth the money. It adds that extra dash style if you want your SUV to stand out.

Even if you strip away the AMG pack, the GLS in itself is a pretty good car. It has great road presence, is feature-loaded, has oodles of interior space, and the powertrain is more than enough both in terms of performance and proportionality to the size of the vehicle. That being said, Mercedes could have added a few more AMG bits to the car to really enhance the overall package, as it does feel a bit understated for something that’s got AMG credentials.

What’s more, the interiors have started to show their age, especially in the face of newer models from Mercedes themselves and could do with a massive upgrade. Lastly, you only get this as a seven-seat model, which is not so much an issue as it is an extra luxury touch that would have really enhanced the complete experience. At the time of writing this review, this GLS 450d 4MATIC AMG Line was priced at Rs. 1.43 crore while the GLS 450 4MATIC was priced at Rs. 1.37 crore (ex-showroom).

Photography: Kapil Angane