First UK drive: the ginormous Mercedes GLS

What’s that?

Quite possibly the biggest Mercedes-Benz in all the land – the GLS.

But doesn’t Merc build trucks? And what about that Unimog thing?

Ok, technically the GLS isn’t the biggest thing Mercedes makes, but it sure as hell feels it when you’re trying to dodge maniacal bikers on the North Circular. We can confirm it is precisely as large as it looks in these photographs.

Looks a bit like the old GL, doesn’t it?

Yep, because that’s what it is. The GLS tops the Mercedes SUV hierarchy. Essentially a facelifted GL, the added S tells us Merc’s touting it as the S-Class of all its SUVs, in much the same way the GLA is an A-Class SUV, the GLC is a C-Class SUV, and so on.

OK, time for some numbers. Just how big is it?

A massive 13.1cm longer than a Range Rover – that’s five and a bit inches, if you like old money. At least it makes use of the space, though, with a third-row of seats hidden away beneath the boot floor. A proper Rangie only seats five, but the Merc takes seven.

Granted, the GLS is a couple of centimetres narrower than a Range Rover, but that still makes it wider than a Bentley Mulsanne (minus mirrors, with them the Bentley is a bit wider). So yeah, it’s big. Width restrictors will still be a pain.

Is it expensive too?

Yes. The cheapest is £69,100, but our ‘Designo’ (fancy leather, heated cup holders, etc…) was optioned up to nearly £85,000. This is a lot.

So it’s as big as a Range Rover and as expensive, but how does it compare?

In some ways quite well. You get the extra couple of seats for starters, and a truly vast 2,300 litres of luggage space if you fold them all down (electrically, obviously). Plus Merc’s infotainment system far surpasses the tired old kit you get in a Range Rover. But then things start to unravel.

The interior is solid and beautifully appointed, but sorely lacking in style and opulence. We suspect the next GLS will be a step up, when hopefully it’ll get the lovely new dashboard as seen in the S- and E-Class, but this old one just looks a bit plain, even when it’s swathed in no doubt very expensive leather. Score one for the Rangie.

How does it drive?

Exactly as you’d expect. The one that sells (and even then, not in huge numbers) in the UK is the 350d, which has a familiar 3.0-litre V6 diesel with 258bhp. It’s enough to haul the 2.5 tonne behemoth to 62mph in 7.8 seconds and give it a top speed of 137mph. The automatic gearbox has nine speeds, which is certainly plenty. So heavy and bluff-fronted is the GLS that Merc only quotes 37.2mpg. We saw little more than 30, even sitting on the motorway.

We might have popped the GLS into Sport to make quick getaways onto roundabouts or at busy junctions, but most of the time it’s best left in Comfort. You get air suspension as standard, and the ride is pretty good at medium-to-high speeds, but it feels a bit solid over speed bumps. The AirCurve system you get with the Designo trim level keeps everything eerily flat in the bends, though, and all in, it’s a relaxing drive. A Range Rover Sport is more fun, though.

Should I buy one?

If you want something truly massive, then yes. After all, this is the only way to get a seven-seat Merc without buying a van, so for some that might appeal. It can tow a lot, too, and would surely eat cross-continental miles. It can even do off-road, if you equip the optional kit for an extra two grand.

But for us, if practicality is the name of the game, the Land Rover Discovery, Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90 offer as much usability for much less cash. And if it’s luxury you’re after, the Range Rover still wins out. We’d understand if you bought a GLS, but we wouldn’t necessarily do so ourselves.