Unveiling the Luxurious 2024 Mercedes GLS: A Comprehensive Review

2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
Starting at $88.150

Highs: Posh interior, packed with technology features, smooth-running engines.
Lows: Big box design isn't elegant from every angle, neither powertrain is particularly efficient, all this luxury comes at a price.
Verdict: The GLS-class is what family transit looks like for the well-to-do.

Overview
Whether you're shuttling your heirs to boarding school or hauling home a restock of your wine cellar, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS-class SUV has the space and refinement for such duties. While GLS450 models come with a smooth-running 375-hp turbocharged inline-six, badge snobs will want to go for the more powerful 510-hp GLS580, which boasts a twin-turbo V-8 engine. The GLS is so refined on the road, its off-road capability is a surprising and welcome trait. Mercedes has made sure it's able to tackle more obstacles than most buyers could dream of taking on. The air suspension can raise for more ground clearance, there are clever all-wheel-drive features to help keep things going in the right direction, and there's even available underbody protection to shield the GLS's sensitive bits when navigating over rocks and ruts. On the road, the GLS's agility and comfortable ride are its most satisfying characteristics. Its taut body control is on par with the BMW X7 and bests that of rivals such as the Land Rover Range Rover and the Lincoln Navigator.

What's New for 2024?
Mercedes has given the GLS a styling refresh for 2024 that includes an updated grille design, a reworked front bumper, new LED taillights, a new steering wheel, and fresh interior color schemes. The GLS450's six-cylinder powertrain gets a boost to 375 horsepower while the V-8­–powered GLS580 now boasts 510 ponies. That model can now also be had with a new Off-Road Engineering package, which adds underbody protection and a revised air suspension that can raise the SUV an additional 1.2 inches for better ground clearance.

Pricing and Which One to Buy
The price of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS-class starts at $88.150 and goes up to $113.150 depending on the trim and options.
GLS450: $88,150
GLS580: $113,150

Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Two models are offered—the six-cylinder GLS450 and the eight-cylinder GLS580—and both feature some hybridization. The GLS450's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six is smooth as polished granite and gets a bump from 362 to 375 horsepower for the 2024 model year. The GLS580 is far more powerful, making 510 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8. At our test track, the 2020 GLS450 we tested managed a brisk 5.5-second run to 60 mph and stopped from 70 mph in a short 154 feet. Despite its size, the GLS-class is easy to hustle on a twisty road, but it's not overtly sporty. All models come standard with an air suspension, but Mercedes also offers a trick system called E-Active Body Control. It utilizes a forward-facing camera to scan for bumps and adjusts the suspension accordingly so riders will feel less of the road’s imperfections. It's a cool technology but expensive, and we think most buyers will find the standard setup does a fine job.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Borrowing its dashboard and cockpit layout from the similarly new GLE-class SUV, this generation of GLS is far more modern than the one it replaces. It'll fit up to seven passengers but can be spec'd for six with the optional captain's chairs. Passenger space is generous in the first and second rows, and the third row, while not as spacious as the second, can accommodate an adult without too much complaining—something that can't be said of the wayback in the X7.