2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS Revealed At New York Auto Show — The S-Class Of SUVs Just Got Bigger

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz has revealed the all-new GLS SUV at the 2019 New York Auto Show. The new Mercedes GLS is longer and wider than before with most of the increased length being transfered to the wheelbase of the 7-seater flagship SUV which also boasts of mild hybrid petrol powerplants.

The new Mercedes-Benz GLS is 5,207mm long and 1,956mm wide, a whole 77mm longer and 22mm wider than its predecessor. Mercedes claims that the wheelbase of the GLS SUV is now 60mm longer than before at 3,135mm. The new 2019 Mercedes GLS is based on the Modular High Architecture (MHA) platform, also which underpins the smaller GLE SUV.

Under the bonnet there are a choice of three engines - two electrified petrols and one diesel. The smaller of the mild hybrid petrol engines uses a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six cylinder engine that produces 362bhp and 500Nm of torque. The mild hybrid setup motor of the GLS 450 adds another 22bhp and 250Nm of torque to aid accelration.

The lone diesel engine is a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six engine that is offered in three states of tune. In the GLS 350d the engine cranks out 282bhp and 600Nm of torque. In the higher-spec GLS 400d the engine bumps up the power to 325 bhp while the maximum torque rises to 700Nm. Both engines use a 31.6-litre AdBlue tank and a secondary ammonia filter to help them comply with upcoming real world emission norms that go into effect next year in Europe.

The most powerful version of the new 7-seater SUV is the new GLS 580. The Mercedes GLS 580 is powered by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine aided by the 48V mild-hybrid system. The engine cranks out 482bhp and 700Nm of torque with the motor adding another 22bhp and 250Nm of torque for brief periods under accelration. All variants of the new GLS are offered with a 9-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel-drive.

The biggest changes in terms of design can be seen inside the new 2019 GLS. The GLS features Merc's trademark twin display instrumentation and infotainment display, which are 12.3-inches in size as standard on the new car. There is also five zone climate control along with the new MBUX interface for the infotainment system which features a voice assistant.

The Mercedes GLS is offered with 7 seats as standard, but the German carmaker will give owners the option to buy a six-seater version which removes the middle bench in favour of two individual seats with armrests.

The bootspace is quite large with Mercedes claiming that with all five rear seats folded down (which can be done by pressing a single button), there is enough space for 2,400 litres of cargo, which is 100-litres more than the previous GLS.