A very lightly camouflaged version of Mercedes’ GLS flagship SUV has been caught on camera.
This lightly masked car is our best look yet at the upcoming Mercedes GLS. Due to be unveiled at this year’s New York Motor Show, the firm’s third-generation flagship SUV will get a range of new powertrains and technology borrowed from the Mercedes S-Class. It’s set to reach the UK market by the end of 2019.
Mercedes’s latest seven-seater will enter a growing marketplace of full-sized luxury SUVs, competing against the new BMW X7, the Audi Q8 and the Range Rover. It will slot into the German firm’s expanding range of SUV models, joining the updated GLE and refreshed G-Class, as well as the forthcoming, new-generation GLA.
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These latest spy shots show that the latest version of the GLS will ditch the old model’s boxy shape in favour of curvier proportions, with a more rakish profile towards the rear. Mercedes’ latest brand ‘face’ will also feature, as seen on the new GLE, with a slotted two-bar grille and swept back headlights.
Inside, we expect to find Mercedes’ latest MBUX infotainment system, with a pair of 12.3-inch screens; one for the digital gauge cluster and one for the sat-nav. Given its position at the top of the Mercedes SUV range, we expect the GLS will also borrow technology from the S-Class luxury saloon, with features such as a roaming WiFi hotspot and a Burmester audio system.
The GLS could also borrow its engines from the S-Class, benefitting from the new Mercedes six-cylinder petrol and diesel units. The former supports 48-volt electrification, coming fitted with an electric supercharger and an integrated starter alternator. In its most powerful guise, it’ll give the GLS 469bhp and 700Nm of torque.
If the system matches that on the S-Class, it’ll be capable of both energy recuperation and providing extra performance on demand. A biturbo V8-powered AMG option will also likely appear during the next GLS’s lifespan, borrowing the same unit from the AMG S 63, with 595bhp and 900Nm of torque.
What are your thoughts on the next-generation Mercedes GLS? Let us know in the comments section below…
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