As Mercedes-Benz’s tradition goes, any new element, design, or aesthetic is first introduced in the flagship and then trickled down to other models. However, this GLS is yet to undergo a generation change which will endow it with the newer touchscreen panel seen in the current-gen S-Class. What you see here is the older cabin layout which was first introduced X167-gen back in 2019. However, part of the update is the gorgeous-looking steering wheel, a 100Watt charger, Maybach-inspired centre air vents and the latest iteration of the MBUX interface including the fingerprint telematics sensor. Oh, and you have three choices for the interior theme – black, brown and beige.

That said, the strong trait of the GLS remains – its cavernous cabin. It might not have a passenger-side screen like in the EQ models, there’s a lavish combination of materials used all around including leather, glossy plastic, and brushed aluminium, but surprisingly no wooden inserts (which I like as it makes the cabin less traditional and more modern). Now with sunroof as standard, the GLS’ cabin is sort of a suite on wheels.

Since it will be chauffeured around, the GLS owner will be pampered in the backseat with the utmost opulence. The large and comfortable seats at the back are complemented by electric adjustment, powered window blinds, and dedicated screens mounted on the back of the front seats. These screens have the same MBUX interface and can control almost all things including seat comfort, multimedia, navigation, and other vehicle functions. Secondly, the middle seat doubles up as an armrest with an integrated yet removable tablet serving the same control functions.

Apart from the usual 3.0-litre diesel which makes around 362bhp and an earth-moving 750Nm, the new GLS is also available with a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine which we have sampled here in the 450 guise. With mild-hybrid coming in as standard fitment in all powertrain options, the power is rated at 375bhp and 500Nm, good enough for the behemoth to sprint from a standstill to 100kmph in just 6.1 seconds (claims Mercedes).

And that’s the fantastic thing about this engine. Despite weighing almost equal to a small planet, the GLS can pull up its skirt and run which would put runaway brides to shame. Mercedes says that the M256M engine has a twin-scroll turbocharger with two flow exhaust routing through three separate ducts, and all the ducts come together just before the turbine. This on paper should result in a reduced lag before the large turbocharger goes into action. However, when you do put your foot down, the muscular bonnet does take a noticeable delay to point towards the sky and dart away as a freight train on the loose. On the other hand, when it does pick up its skirt and run, the GLS floats and glides like a massive glacier racing across the ocean – not expected, but it is an inexorable phenomenon nonetheless.

At the end of the day, the Mercedes-Benz GLS takes opulence and mixes it with versatility into the most well-rounded package money could buy. It is a full-size luxury SUV that carries a repute that not many cars on the road could ever manage. While it is good to drive, the GLS is even better to be driven in. With the update, the feature list ticks all the boxes and some more. My only nit-pick would be the cabin layout is yet to adopt the modern design seen on the new-gen S-Class, or the even modern EQ models.

As I mentioned before, it is way of announcing that you have made it in life. On the other hand, for the affluent, the GLS is just another large mover which offers lavish aesthetics, comfortable space and practicality for their active lifestyle. It’s a decadent set of wheels for the discerning elite, no less.