If you could have the best of everything in one car, it would have a ludicrous sub-2-second 0-100 km/h acceleration time, sports-car-like handling, fuel efficiency of 1l/100km, the plushiest set of air suspension, the highest form of luxury, and a really big boot space. But you can’t. Living in the imperfect world as it is, you have to choose some and forget some. And if luxury is what you choose, perhaps have a look at the Mercedes-Benz GLS450 4MATIC.
The new facelifted 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 4MATIC was only launched in Malaysia in April this year, fetching a price of RM999,888 on-the-road, without insurance. Like the facelift seen on the GLE, GLA, and GLB, the new GLS features new light clusters, a refreshed grille, and refreshed bumpers.
Sitting on a set of 22-inch alloy wheels, the Mercedes-Benz GLS450 has an unmistakably dominant presence, not just due to its size that dwarfs just about everything around it, but also its upright posture which looks like it couldn’t care less about aerodynamics (although it does). You’d have to be at least 6 feet tall to not look comically small next to the car.
Although the GLS may seem like an urban-only SUV, it does suggest some adventurous spirit with the presence of roof rails, sporty side steps, an underride guard, and even an off-road mode (which you’ll have to explore in the head unit). Some exterior features worth mentioning include the Digital Light LED headlights, LED taillights, and AMG Line package.
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The GLS450 badge means that this isn’t the most powerful version of the GLS (at least globally). It is, however, the one and only version of the GLS that is officially available in Malaysia. This sole variant is powered by a mild hybrid (MHEV) system that consists of a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-6 engine and an electric drive component known as the integrated starter generator (ISG). The engine makes 381 hp and 500 Nm while the ISG makes 20 hp and 200 Nm.
A 4MATIC badge means you get the brand’s all-wheel drive system sending power to all four wheels and this works in tandem with the MHEV system as well as a 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. With everything working together, the GLS450 can do the century sprint in 6.1 seconds, onward to a top speed of 250 km/h. It is not exactly the fastest car out there, but how many of us can say we drive something with a 6-cylinder engine these days?
Move inside, and the GLS still feels like it came from a few years ago. And that’s not a bad thing, especially considering how newer cars are filled with screens and not much else. There’s a twin-screen display for the head unit and the digital instrument cluster, and that’s about it. There is still a healthy amount of physical buttons, the classic Merecedes-benz touchpad on the centre console, and a nice wood trim treatment throughout the entire cabin. What may take some getting used to for the more traditional driver is the new Mercedes-Benz steering wheel which has adopted capacitive controls.
Among the standard items in the Mercedes-Benz GLS450 4MATIC are 4-zone climate control, a Burmester surround sound system, 64-colour LED ambient lighting, illuminated door sills, and heated and ventilated seats with memory function. There is an off-road mode in the GLS450 and this lets you monitor the current status of your car in terms of its pitch, roll, suspension status, and the like.
The Mercedes-Benz GLS450’s cabin seats 7 people and the best place to be in is probably the second-row seats. You get a dedicated screen for yourself and you can even listen to your own music or podcast without bothering everyone else in the car. You also get sunshades and a really big sunroof.
The GLS’s last row of seats can fit your growing children comfortably, but for adults, it is perhaps only good for a short trip to lunch. The seats are comfortable, but the SUV body style has limitations. Still, it is always nice to know that you can sit 7 people in the car legally with everyone being fairly comfortable.
In terms of safety, the GLS450 naturally comes with a comprehensive set of advanced safety systems. This includes Active Distance DISTRONIC active cruise control, active steering assist, pre-safe impulse side protection, a 360° surround view system, and a driving assistance package.
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