The Mercedes-Maybach GLS is next in line for its mid-cycle update, getting more assertive looks and more power in the process.
Following up on the standard Mercedes-Benz GLS and the AMG variants, the most luxurious GLS-Class gets a host of updates for 2027. From the illuminated radiator grille and hood ornament as well as the redesigned headlights to more power and (of course) expanded luxury features, the 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS680 makes more of a “look at me” statement than previous models. That said, if you’re shopping at this end of the market, that’s probably exactly what you’re going for, and Mercedes just debuted the more svelte and opulent alternative to the sportier AMG variant.
Starting with the front-end styling, there’s not a dramatic transformation from what came before. After all, you still get the huge chrome grille and the plethora of Maybach logos in the lower fascia. However, you do get a new set of (massive) headlights with three-pointed star running lights. The bedazzling hardly stops there, though, as Mercedes added lighting not just in the grille surround, but in the ornament as an option and the “Maybach” lettering itself. Inside those headlights, you get rose gold accents (again adorned with the Maybach branding), and the automaker even borrowed a trick from Rolls-Royce, using ball bearings to keep the Mercedes star pointing upright at all times when the Maybach GLS is rolling down the road.
Of course, what really sells folks on the Mercedes-Maybach GLS isn’t so much the exterior, flamboyant though it is, but the interior. The technology from the rest of the GLS range is still there, of course, including the Superscreen comprising three 12.3-inch displays and the latest MB.OS operating system packed with AI (including ChatGPT and Google Gemini). The Maybach GLS loses the third row to seat just four VIPs, with buyers getting more options for Natta leather upholstery colors and trim personalization options. The rear refrigerator, complete with a couple champagne flutes, is still an option.
A rear-seat entertainment system is also optional, bringing in a couple 11.6-inch displays. That actually seems a little small, all things considered, but that does allow you to watch and stream from the business jet-like seats, while an integrated rear camera supports video conferencing through Microsoft Teams. Wireless charging pads come standard in the rear, and GLS680 passengers also get a beefed up audio experience, thanks to a 710-watt amplifier for the 17-speaker Burmester 3D system.
The Mercedes-Maybach GLS680 gets as much oomph as the AMG models
If you have a need for power and speed, the 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS680 is a powerhouse, too. The M177 Evo 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 kicks out 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, bumping it up 53 horsepower and 89 lb-ft over the outgoing model. Thanks to a 48-volt mild hybrid system and its electric motor, there’s up to 23 horsepower extra in low-speed starts (perhaps more impactful compared to the hair-on-fire AMG), but it’s mainly there to support the engine start-stop system.
For the folks who will inevitably be hired to drive these Maybach GLSes, this latest model also gets Airmatic suspension with E-Active Body Control, a quicker steering ratio for when you need some more agile handling, and a reworked “Maybach” drive mode for when you don’t.
When it goes on sale later this year, the 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS680 will carry on the tradition of being Mercedes’ most ostentatious SUV, bar none. That said, the 2026 model is still a relative bargain to your Rolls-Royce Cullinans and Bentley Bentaygas, with a starting price of $181,350. This model will almost certainly be more expensive and options will easily catapult that figure over $200K.
While we’ve yet to drive this updated version, the idea of this latest model will be more or less the same as the video below, but more:
