When you say the word luxury when it comes to an automobile, the first name that springs up in your mind is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The S is looked upon as a benchmark when it comes to opulence, technology, that ‘having arrived’ feeling and more. But why am I talking about the S-Class in this review? Well, because this here is the all new 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV and the car maker calls it the ‘S-Class of SUVs’. This was also one reason the nomenclature was changed from GL to the GLS. So does this latest iteration of the three pointed star’s flagship SUV live up to that tag-line? Read on to find out.

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS Exterior

BIG would be an understatement you talk about the new GLS. This thing is just massive.  With a length of 5,207mm, it is 77mm longer than the model it replaces. What’s also significant is the wheelbase, which at 3,135 mm, is quite a bit stretch too. Add to that, the 1,823mm height and 2,157mm width, and we are talking some serious numbers here. Look at the GLS from any angle and you notice that it has become more curvier and smooth than before when it comes to styling. The thick twin slat grille with a large Star logo is trademark Mercedes. The headlamps are a little smaller and are adaptive LED units. They feature the ‘Ultra Range High Beam’ that can light up the road 650 meters ahead. The front bumper gets a very bling chrome skid plate. Move to the side, and there are flared square wheel arches with blacking cladding that look beefy. And there are the tyres that come in a staggered setup. At the front you get 275 section rubber, but what simply blows you away are the insane 315/40 profile tyres at the rear that are outright supercar territory. They are jaw dropping to look at when viewing the GLS from the dead rear. The tyres are mounted onto 21 inch 5 spoke alloy wheels that look quite sporty and reminded me of the designs that came in some earlier AMGs. There is a neat side step on both sides to allow easier access, or rather help to climb into this behemoth. The rear features slim LED tail lamps that are in tune with Merc’s current design language and there is a chrome garnish strip that runs across them. The rear bumper gets a skid plate and chrome exhaust tips on either side. Overall, the styling feels very mature and eye catching at the same time. I lost count on the number of heads that turned while I was driving. It just has incredible street presence and I personally love that because I am a huge fan of big SUVs. For me, its like the bigger the better.