Mercedes GLS Coming in 2014 to Do Battle With BMW X6

We might have to thank BMW for enlarging the market for SUVs that don’t really work off-road but offer the luxury normally expected from saloons, as the success of its X6 might spur Mercedes Benz to create something that blends practicality and style in a package with the same rakish lines.

According to Autocar, the new Mercedes Benz will be called the GLS, and (as the name suggests) it will take the lines of the CLS four-door into the world of SUVs. The X6 rival will arrive in 2014, featuring a four-seat interior arrangement and underpinned by the same platform as the new M-Klasse.

“After closely monitoring sales trends, we’ve concluded there is potential for an additional off-road model with a more sporting emphasis than the new M-class,” an insider revealed last week.

With 120,000 BMW X6 units sold across the world since its debut in 2009, it’s no wonder that Mercedes wants to get in on the action, but by the time the GLS reaches the market, Audi and Land Rover might also have introduced such SUV to their lineup.

Details are limited at the moment, but the engine range for the GLS could include the 306 hp 3.5-liter V6 and 435 hp 4.8-liter V8 petrols. In the diesel department, Mercedes could introduce its 258 hp 3.0-liter diesel and even a hybrid oil-burner, based on the E300 diesel-electric that is scheduled to be unveiled in Frankfurt in September. It’s also hard to believe that the German carmaker will refrain from creating a 5.5-liter AMG monster.