The S-class among the SUVs – you will hear this often when speaking about the Mercedes GLS. The full-size luxury model is preparing a redesign. More premium features and styling tweaks will be presented with 2020 Mercedes GLS. The company is coming out with the new refresh instead of the next-gen model. We remind you the current generation of GLS came in 2013 and in 2016 we saw the only facelift. Back then, the SUV brought new drive system with a nine-speed transmission. Now we will see what is Mercedes-Benz preparing for the GLS.
At this moment, we don’t know too much about the Mercedes GLS new model 2020. Besides the thing the interior is under reconstruction, we can’t know what kind of features the German carmaker is about to bring. Last time they shocked the entire industry with state of art equipment. Would they turn to other parts and update these which were refreshed the last time, or the complete overhaul is on the way, we will know closer during 2019.
2020 Mercedes GLS Interior
The full-size 2020 Mercedes GLS is going to offer seven seating spots. If you ever wondered which Mercedes SUV has 3 rows – here is the answer. It makes it the largest SUV in its family. With a three-row layout, all occupants will have enough space for head and legs. The overall length of the new model will remain the same. The Mercedes GLS new model 2020 will keep the same platform. So, a 202-inches long vehicle can offer 143 cubic-ft of space inside the cabin. With seats up, the cargo volume is only 16 cubic-feet, but it can rise to 50/94 cubic-in with 3rd and 2nd row folded.
So, there are no big upgrades on the volume. But, be sure that 2020 Mercedes GLS is bringing something special on the design end. The first spy shots are not unveiling too much. Although completely spied, the 2020 Mercedes GLS had heavy covers all around the dashboard. We could spot only the information panel and the huge display at the center of the console. A multi-functional steering wheel is also without camo. Everything else is kept out of sight. Even the seats are covered by fabric cloth, which is not going to be the case with the production model.
Mercedes GLS New Model 2020 Exterior, Spy Shots
The interesting thing about the 2020 Mercedes GLS is that the vehicle already has numerous appearances. Well, we could see a few test mules. But, none of them are showing too much. The most intriguing thing is the two kinds of prototypes we could see.
The first one is pretty much the same as the old GLS. When we say the same, we mean the overall shape is well-known and there won’t be problems to recognize it. But, the other one is somehow confusing. It seems more like its smaller sibling, Mercedes-Benz GLE. The mid-size SUV dropped some camouflage recently and it shows more details of the upcoming model. This is not the case with its larger brother. By borrowing design solutions from a smaller SUV, the Mercedes GLS 2020 could add more aggressiveness. However, buyers of this model would want to get its distinctive boxy design once again.
2020 Mercedes GLS 450 vs GLS 550
Buyers of the full-size luxury SUV will have two choices – to buy heavily-packed 2020 Mercedes GLS 550 or cheaper GLS 450. There are notable differences between these two models. The first, and the most obvious is the price. While the entry-level Mercedes GLS 450 2020 is going to cost around $70,000, the GLS 550 model could hit $100k mark after the redesign. The price gap won’t confuse you – there must be the reason why the 2020 Mercedes GLS 550 is going to be so much more expensive.
A navigation and leather upholstery are standard on this model, while the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 is offering these features as optional. Also, the entry-level premium SUV is packed with some cool stuff, which is on another level with upper trim, such as the audio system. But, the most significant difference between the two models is the drivetrain.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450/550 Specs
While the 2020 Mercedes GLS styling is under revisit, the drivetrain units will remain the same. Since there are two versions of the SUV, 450 and 550 models, there are specific powertrains for each of them respectively.
The entry-level one is getting, you guess, a smaller block. It is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo mill with the capability to produce 360 horses. Also, a V-6 engine delivers 370 pound-feet of torque and returns 20 mpg combined. The new nine-speed automatic transmission is probably the highlight of the entire drive system. Its shift is so smooth that drivers with lack of experience are not going to feel it. An all-wheel drive is standard.
The other engine is using the same transmission and drive setup. But, a 4.7-liter V-8 drivetrain will bring a significant boost in output. This twin-turbo mill is tuned to deliver 450 horsepower and 515 pound-feet of twist. The cost is a fuel economy that drops to 16 mpg. Not even the perfect gearbox can help this beast achieve better numbers.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 63 AMG
This is not all by the 2020 Mercedes GLS. In its next appearance, the SUV comes again with its AMG version again. But now, a 5.5-liter bi-turbo engine is about to produce over 600 horses. Also, its features list is much longer than the one for 450/550 versions. Everything will be shown on the price, which goes over $125k for the current edition. After upgrades, we could see it closer to $150,000. Engineers will install the speed limiter at 155 mph (250 kmh), but optional packages could offer +12 mph (20 kmh) on maximum speed.
2020 Mercedes GLS Release Date
There are two indicators of the release date for the 2020 Mercedes GLS. The first one is official. And it is missing because it is early for announcements. The second one is spy shots and other Mercedes SUVs. We already mentioned the GLE mid-size SUV is almost stripped. Spy photos of this model appeared just before we saw the new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS for the first time. So, the GLE will come first, and shortly after it, the bigger SUV will come out. When it is happening, we can only guess. But, both models won’t come out before the second half of 2019.
