Engineering:Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS and GL Class
Overview
Manufacturer	DaimlerChrysler (2006–2007) Daimler AG (2007–present)
Also called	Mercedes-Benz GLS Class (2016–present)
Production	2006–present
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size luxury SUV
Body style	5 door,7-seater SUV
Layout	Front-engine, four-wheel drive (4matic)

The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class, formerly Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is a full-size luxury SUV produced by Mercedes-Benz since 2006. It is a three-row, seven-passenger vehicle positioned above the GLE-Class, and is the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz SUV line.

The GLS shares the same unibody architecture with the GLE-Class. Most GLS-Class vehicles are assembled at the Mercedes plant in Alabama, except for a small number of early 2007 production vehicles which were manufactured in Germany. The first generation model (X164) was manufactured between 2006 and 2012 and was replaced in 2012 by the new generation GL-Class (X166).

From 2016 with the release of the facelifted second generation model, the GL-Class was renamed to GLS-Class as per the revised nomenclature adopted by Mercedes. Under this scheme, SUVs use the base name "GL", followed by the model's placement in Mercedes-Benz hierarchy. The "G" is for geländewagen (German for off-road vehicle) and alludes the long-running G-Class. This is followed by the letter "L" that acts as a linkage with the letter "S", the SUV equivalent to the S-Class.

First generation (X164; 2007–2012)

X164 GL-Class

The X164 GL-Class debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. It was released along the same time as the similarly sized Audi Q7, and was the first full-size, 7-seater SUV produced by a German automaker. The range of engines consist of V8 petrol engines, and turbocharged V6 and V8 diesel engines. All models are available only in all-wheel drive (4MATIC) configuration. Its main competitors are the Land Rover Range Rover, Cadillac Escalade, and Lincoln Navigator.

Second generation (X166; 2013-2019)

X166 GL-Class

The X166 GL-Class went on sale on September 2012. Models feature efficiency improvements via the addition of an engine start stop system, drive by wire steering, and new turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. The second generation model also introduced a high performance GL63 AMG variant, powered by the hand-built M157 engine. Following the facelift in 2016, it was renamed to GLS-Class to correspond with the new Mercedes-Benz naming scheme. The model update also featured minor exterior and interior design changes and performance improvements.

Third generation (X167; 2020–)

X167 GLS-Class

The third generation model debuted at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. The engine options at the launch are 3.0-litre turbo I6 (GLS 450 4MATIC) and 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (GLS 580 4MATIC), both petrol with EQ Boost electric motors, and 2.9-litre twin-turbo diesel I6 in two different outputs (GLS 350 d 4MATIC and GLS 400 d 4MATIC).

The trademark registration leads to GLS 600 and GLS 680 as possible Mercedes-Maybach version. With possible demise of Mercedes-Benz V12 engine, the GLS 600 might be equipped with 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and GLS 680 with same engine as GLS 600 but paired with more powerful electric motor as demonstrated in Mercedes-AMG GT Concept.

The wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer and nearly an inch wider. It will use the same architecture as the latest GLE with MBUX and dual 12.3-inch screens as well as E-Active Body Control and car-to-X communication. The exterior has also been redesigned with sleeker headlamps and taillamps.

Sales figures

The following are the sales figures for the GL-Class since 2006:

Year	EU sales	US sales
2006	3,007	18,776
2007	8,027	26,396
2008	4,227	23,328
2009	2,871	15,012
2010	2,249	19,943
2011	2,508	25,139
2012	1,573	26,042
2013	4,829	29,912
2014	4,187	26,597
2015	3,753	27,707
2016	5,361	30,442
2017	4,537	32,248
2018	3,534	21,973
Total	50,663	323,515