- The top of the Mercedes-Benz SUV lineup, the GLS gets a substantial update but not a new design for 2027.
- Changes include new engine choices, an upscale rear seat option, and a “supercomputer” that handles infotainment and more.
Super-luxury SUVs may be the most capable vehicles ever offered for sale. At their most extreme, they offer limousine-like accommodations, engines that would be at home in a supercar, and technologies making their first public appearance.
The Mercedes-Benz GLS is the perfect illustration. Most models sell for six figures, and the SUV is exceptionally smooth on the road yet capable of off-roading, should you want to bound down a mountain trail on massaging seats.
The flagship of the Mercedes SUV fleet gets a substantial update for 2027, though it isn’t a new car from the ground up. This is what the auto industry calls a mid-cycle refresh – an update at the midpoint of production.
Changes include a new infotainment system built around an AI-powered interface, several new engine choices, and, crucially, the option of a lighted hood ornament.
The company has not revealed pricing. The 2026 model on dealer lots today starts at $91,600 (including a mandatory $1,350 destination fee) and rises to over $150,000 in its most well-equipped form.
Two Engines, Each More Powerful
- The GLS will again be offered with either six or eight cylinders, but both engines are now more powerful.
- We expect a high-performance AMG model to appear later.
Buyers will still have the option of an inline-6-cylinder engine or a V8, but both engines have seen substantial upgrades.
The 6-cylinder engine found on the GLS 450 4Matic still makes 375 horsepower, but torque has jumped from 369 lb-ft to 413.
The V8 found on the GLS 580 4Matic sees an increase from 510 hp to 530 hp, with torque jumping from 538 lb-ft to 553 lb-ft.
In both cases, the changes come from revisions to the existing engine. But Mercedes says the changes set the vehicle up to meet future emissions standards. It’s impressive when engineers can achieve greater efficiency with increased power.
Mercedes also claims noise, vibration, and harshness are down in the new model, though they weren’t exactly noticeable in the old one.
New Look With an Old-School Touch
- Don’t expect a massive visual change from a refresh, but a new grille and hood ornament option update the look slightly.
As a refresh, the 2027 update doesn’t bring dramatic changes to the shape. But designers have gotten a lot of change out of just a few tweaks.
A new grille looks more like the front of the brand’s electric cars, with less chrome and more black. New headlights slant more aggressively toward it.
A hood-mounted Mercedes 3-pointed star is available backlit.
Tech Updates Include a ‘Supercomputer‘
- A more powerful chip now backs the brand’s huge Superscreen, and a new Executive Rear Seat Package brings luxury to the second row.
Inside, updates are equal parts tech and soft-touch luxury.
Technology changes are highlighted by a new microchip – a phenomenon car shoppers are getting used to hearing about. Mercedes calls this one a “supercomputer with AI,” though those aren’t meaningful terms beyond marketing.
The company says the new chip “makes the new GLS the most intelligent to date, integrating every function and keeping it up to date and refreshed with over-the-air updates for the entire vehicle software.”
It powers the latest version of the Superscreen – essentially a screen for a dashboard, with separate areas for the driver, central touchscreen, and a passenger screen.
It will even run your Microsoft Teams meetings while you’re driving. The company explains, “A variety of video conferencing apps are available via the in-car app store, including a new version of the ‘Meetings for Teams’ app, to transform the GLS into a mobile office. Drivers can use the in-car camera while the vehicle is in motion, allowing other participants to see them during a meeting.”
On the soft side, a new Executive Rear Seat Package, which brings massaging multi-contour seats to the second row. A Rear Seat Entertainment System, available with that package or separately, gives second-row passengers their own 11.6-inch screens.
The 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLS is slated to arrive at dealerships in the second half of 2026.
