This is the new Mercedes-Benz GLS, and it's massive

Good news for those of you who frequently dismiss small countries for being inadequately spacious: Mercedes has just unveiled a facelifted GL. And it’s massive. Rolls Royce Phantom-massive. Belgium-massive.

The US-friendly GLS, as it’s now known (S because it’s S-Class-sized, as the GLE is E-Class-sized, the GLA A-Class-sized and so on…), has been subjected to an entirely predictable and very Germanic course of revisions.

It looks a bit different, what with the sharper front-end, new head- and tail-lights and bumpers that bring it bang into line with the smaller GLE. Inside you’ll find all of Merc’s latest kit, many leathery surfaces and seven seats.

The one us Europeans may actually buy is the 350d, with its 243 horsepowers, 457ft lbs of torque and nine-speed automatic gearbox. But the one we’re interested in is the GLS 63 AMG, which now comes with a heady 577bhp from its 5.5-litre V8. No word on performance yet, but the old 549bhp car could manage 168mph with the limiter relaxed. Not bad.

And if you want the looks of the AMG without the likely thirst, Merc will now do you an ‘AMG-Line’ GLS, with big wheels and ‘sporty’ bodystyling.

We think it’s fair to say, without having driven it, that cornering will not be the GLS’s best attribute – more likely the 2,300-litre load bay. Still, the GLS comes with a number of systems to keep you on the straight and (but hopefully not too) narrow.

Crosswind Assist, Attention Assist and Collision Prevention Assist are all standard, and buyers can opt in to such helpers as blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise and lane-keeping assist. There’s also something called Dynamic Select, which lets you cycle the gearbox through six modes (sport, comfort etc…). One is an all-encompassing off-road mode. You can even spec an off-road pack, which buys you a low-range ‘box and diff’ locks. But are you seriously considering taking your GLS off-road? We thought not.

Prices are in Euros for now - €62,850 (£44,700) for the 350d, €113,500 (£80,720) for the AMG. Expect to pay over £60K for a diesel in the UK, when they arrive next March.