The Biggest and Most Luxurious Mercedes-Benz SUV Just Made Its World Debut
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 proves bigger is better.
Mercedes-Benz just unveiled the newest edition of their biggest and most luxurious SUV at the New York International Auto Show.
Those superlatives aren’t the only reason the automotive world is awing at the German marque’s beastly 2020 GLS 580.
Its arrival marks world debut of Mercedes’ first ever hybrid V8. The AMG-designed engine puts 483 horsepower to the pavement, but an extra 23 hp is available via an electric boost.
Output is transferred to a nine-speed automatic transmission that was specifically designed to walk the line between energy efficiency. There’s also option for a second all-wheel drive transfer case that’s specifically designed for off-roading.
The suspension, too, also packs some seriously advanced technology that we haven’t seen in many other new cars.
Road and Track reports:
Self-leveling air suspension is standard, while Mercedes’s crazy E-Active Body Control that debuted with the new GLE is optional.
This system does away with sway bars, controlling body movement through the air springs and adaptive shocks.
This means the ride height, spring rate, and damper stiffness are adjusted independently in real time at each corner of the car.
This suspension setup gets its juice from the 48-volt hybrid system, and it can actually harvest electrical energy from vertical damper motion.
The GLS 580’s interior typical of a Benz, with a sizable MBUX infotainment display at the center of the dash and a mix of premium finishes like leather, metal and wood throughout the three-row cabin. Five-zone climate control comes standard, as does a button that folds down all rear seats simultaneously.
An optional “Executive Rear Seat Package” is ideal for buyers with a driver. This adds a seven-inch Android tablet and dedicated docking station in the second row’s luxury armrest, which gives passengers control of all MBUX comfort and entertainment systems.
Prices haven’t been released, but we doubt it’ll cost more than the $200,000 Maybach GLS, which is set to take the title of the most expensive car built in the U.S.
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