Oops, it looks like we bollixed thigs up a little - OK, a LOT - and mistook this very heavily camouflaged (can't stress that enough) SUV for the new Mercedes-Benz GLS, when it is actually something that costs three times less: the 2017 Ssangyong Rexton. But, rest assured, the GLS is coming soon. We can feel it.
Back when the Americans were celebrating their national day, we showed you a set of pictures with the future Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV. Hidden in one of them, among the cars parked at the back, there was a slightly bigger car wearing just as much camouflage as the main subject.
That was the first spotting of the new GLS, a model that Mercedes-Benz will likely launch in 2018. We said that its presence there meant that we were going to see more of it soon and, three weeks later, we were proven right. So here we have, for your consideration, the first time the biggest Mercedes-Benz luxury SUV was ever captured on video. Or spotted in any other way, for that matter.
With the BMW X7 just a matter of time now, Mercedes-Benz needs to refresh the GLS if it wants to remain competitive in the segment. Despite the recent facelift, the three-row SUV looks dated inside and out, a feeling emphasized even further by the sexiness of the German brand's newer models.
It's not just its size that makes the GLS look like a dinosaur in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, but its design as well. And if the exterior has aged reasonably well - bear in mind the GLS' main audience isn't so young itself - the interior feels like it comes from the last century. You wouldn't be surprised to find a corded mobile phone hidden among all that wood.
The 2019 model will undoubtedly take care of all that, using the new, uncluttered dashboard design we've seen on all Mercedes-Benz models to come after the S-Class. It will also get all those semi-autonomous features that the E-Class brags about, as well as the latest in infotainment plus that incredible Burmester audio system.
On the outside, the GLS should look sleeker, but given its dimensions, that might prove to be a more difficult task. The SUV should also lose some weight, which will help with both its dynamic performance but also its fuel efficiency. Power will likely come from the new modular six-cylinder in-line engines that will sit under the hood of the S-Class facelift as well, but expect the GLS to pack a few V8s as well. An AMG version will also be available.
The video shows the GLS to have a more athletic silhouette, with considerable ground clearance and plenty of suspension travel. But while the 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system is quite capable off-road, the GLS will likely stay true to its "the S-Class of SUVs" description and focus on on-road comfort and stability.
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