• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

---

Australian specs and pricing have been announced for the all-new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV line-up ahead of a local arrival in December.

 

At launch, buyers will have the choice of six-cylinder petrol or diesel engines.

 

The range opens with the GLS450 (from $144,600 plus on-road costs) which gets power from a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six producing 270kW and 500Nm which features EQ Boost mild-hybrid technology that can boost outputs for short periods by up to 16kW and 250Nm. On the combined cycle, fuel consumption is listed at 9.2L/100km.

 

A nine-speed automatic transmission sends power to the brand’s 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

 

The GLS400d (from $151,300 plus on-road costs) uses a 3.0-litre inline six turbo-diesel that delivers 243kW and 700Nm. It also gets a nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. It’s more efficient using 7.7L/100km on the combined cycle.

  

Regardless of the engine, standard equipment includes an AMG Line exterior package, 21-inch AMG alloy wheels, a sliding panoramic sunroof, an electric tailgate and power-closing doors.

 

On the inside, buyers get leather trim, seven seats, electrically operated multi-contour front seats with heating and ventilation, four-zone climate control, a 13-speaker 590W Burmester sound system, and the MBUX infotainment system that includes two 12.3-inch digital screens, satellite navigation with live traffic updates, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

 

Safety kit includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, active park assist, a 360-degree camera and nine airbags.

 

Dimensionally, the new GLS is 77mm longer and 22mm wider which allows for an additional 60mm between the wheels. Mercedes claims the extra length has increased legroom in the second row by 87mm when the seats are in their rearmost position.

 

Remarkably, the brand is also talking up the third row claiming adults up to 194cm can fit in the rear chairs.

 

For those concerned about carrying cargo, Mercedes-Benz says, “with all three rows of seating in use, luggage capacity is 355 litres (+20 litres over the preceding generation) when loaded to the top of the backrest. Cargo capacity rises to 890 litres with the third row folded, and an impressive 1470 litres with all rear seats stowed away. Loaded to the roof, those capacity figures are 470, 1350 and 2400 litres respectively.”

 

Customers have a choice of 10 exterior paint options, three leather colours, two open-pore wood-trim finishes, and three different AMG alloy wheel designs ranging from the standard 21-inch package up to 23-inches.

 

The GLS has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg which can be achieved with the optional Towbar Package ($1900). Along with the towbar fitment, the package adds trailer stabilisation, which can detect sway at speeds above 65km/h and apply compensatory braking to individual wheels.

 

If you want to get your GLS dirty, the Off-Road Engineering Package ($3500) brings fully variable all-wheel-drive and a low-range off-road gearbox along with variable torque distribution, downhill speed regulation, an off-road driving mode and underbody protection.

  

 

GLS450 - $144,600

GLS400d - $151,300