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Photo Comparison: 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS vs. 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLS

In mid-April 2019, Mercedes-Benz revealed the new generation GLS, the successor of the model line known until 2016 as the GL-Class. Since the 2016 GLS was merely a facelift of the existing GL-Class, this new SUV can be considered the first entirely new car worthy of the name.
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS vs. 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLS front 91 photos
Photo: Mercedes-Benz edited by autoevolution
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The new flagship Mercedes SUV has been built on a longer platform which results in an even bigger car, measuring 5,207 mm long and 1,956 mm wide. The changes made to the body are extensive too, as can be seen in the comparative gallery above.

At the front, aside for the overall shape of the octagonal front grille adorned with the three-pointed star, everything has changed. The SUV now features chrome-plated under guard in the front apron, complete with bone-shaped air inlet grille, a bonnet with two powerdomes and reshaped LED headlamps with daytime running lamps.

Looked at from the side, the new GLS shows more liquid lines than the squarish ones seen on the previous generation, most visible in the way in which the chrome surrounds of the windows are shaped.

The rear also boasts numerous changes. The stance of the back is more muscular, thinning in a more sculpted manner towards the top of the car. The shoulders extend from the rear doors to the two-piece LED tail lamps that boast an entirely new configuration. Also, the rear reflectors in chrome trim strip have been moved further down, just above the chrome-plated under guard.

The entire shape of the new GLS has been designed in such a way as to provide an improvement in aerodynamics compared to what came before. The drag coefficient figure of 0.32 is impressive for an SUV this size, being exactly the same as say the 2006 Koenigsegg CCX.

The new GLS will be available later this year, with a choice of engines that includes the world's first mild-hybrid V8 engine.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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