Mercedes-Maybach has introduced an updated version of its GLS large SUV, bringing revisions to the exterior design, cabin equipment, suspension, and driver-assist systems.
Not to be mistaken for the regular GLS, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS is the true full-fledged luxury version, with multiple customization options and added luxury features.
The front end features a redesigned, Maybach-specific radiator grille with an illuminated outline. For the first time on a GLS, the “MAYBACH” lettering within the grille frame is illuminated. In select markets, the upright Mercedes-Benz star on the hood can also be lit.
The headlamps carry rose-gold accents, a Maybach emblem, and ambient lighting along the star modules and the area connecting the headlamps to the grille. A black panel links the headlamps and grille into a single design element, while the air intake pattern is finished in chrome. The front bumper has been redesigned, and a chrome-wrapped underbody protection panel has been added.
At the rear, a redesigned tailgate with a design panel connects the taillights, which feature chrome-framed three-dimensional star motifs.
Three new paint colors have been added to the lineup: dark petrol non-metallic, Manufaktur Patagonia red metallic, and a two-tone dark petrol non-metallic/verde silver metallic finish.
The Manufaktur individualization program has been expanded for the new GLS, including full leather interior packages that extend to the roof liner. The roof liner, described as the largest component produced at the Manufaktur facility in Sindelfingen, Germany, is stitched by a single craftsperson using up to 20 leather sections. Mercedes-Maybach said the roof liner was the most requested Manufaktur component among customers in 2026.
A new 22-inch light-alloy wheel in a 20-hole design has been added to the wheel lineup, alongside 23-inch forged wheels featuring a center-mounted three-pointed star that stays upright via a ball-bearing mechanism as the wheel rotates.
The GLS also gets electric running boards that extend within under one second when a door opens. They are finished in anodized aluminum with rubber inserts and a chrome Maybach emblem, and include an LED strip that projects a Maybach pattern onto the ground at night. The boards retract when the doors close.
A Night Series variant is available, featuring dark chrome exterior elements, dark anodized running boards, and 23-inch seven-spoke wheels with Maybach-pattern inserts. Exterior color options for this variant include obsidian black metallic, Manufaktur opalite white bright, Manufaktur opalite white magno, and a two-tone obsidian black metallic/mojave silver metallic finish. Interior options include black with black pearl Nappa leather, or crystal white with black pearl accents, paired with herringbone trim and open-pore brown walnut wood.
The cabin is built around a redesigned cockpit with the MBUX Superscreen, which in this application includes rose-gold dial accents and a gold-colored Maybach emblem. New illuminated air vents are integrated into the glazed surface flanking the screen, using moving “gondola” elements instead of conventional vent fins.
The front multi-contour seats gain a new vibration massage function in the seat cushions. In the rear, the Executive Seats add a massage function that now extends to the calves.
New Nappa leather upholstery in a beech brown/macchiato beige combination has been added, along with two new trim options: open-pore V-groove walnut wood and a silver/black diamond-pattern mixed fabric. These trims also conceal the door to a glass-fronted refrigerated compartment between the rear seats, which holds two 0.75-liter champagne bottles.
The Burmester 3D Surround Sound System with Dolby Atmos has been upgraded with two additional rear surround speakers and a more powerful 710-watt amplifier, bringing the total speaker count to 15.
A new electric cabin air filtration system renews interior air approximately every 90 seconds, using an electric ionizing filter combined with a pre-filter for larger particles. The system remains active in recirculation mode.
Additional sound insulation has been added to the transmission tunnel and engine bulkhead, along with a heavier mat on the engine cover and acoustic foam in select body cavities to reduce noise.
The GLS Maybach is powered by an updated version of the electrified V8 engine (M177 EVO) paired with a second-generation Integrated Starter Generator (ISG 2.0), producing 450 kW plus a 17 kW boost and 850 Nm of torque. Mercedes-Maybach said this output is comparable to the previous 12-cylinder engine. The 48-volt mild-hybrid system supports coasting, energy recuperation, and start-stop functionality, while two added Lanchester balance shafts are intended to reduce vibration. A dedicated Maybach driving program is available within the DYNAMIC SELECT drive mode system.
The steering system has been revised with a more direct ratio for added precision.
A new AIRMATIC air suspension system uses Car-to-X data from other Mercedes-Benz vehicles via the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud to anticipate road conditions and adjust damping in advance, particularly for rear passenger comfort.
The optional E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL system uses five multi-core processors and more than 20 sensors to make suspension adjustments up to 1,000 times per second, controlling spring and damper forces at each wheel to reduce roll, pitch, and lift. In Curve mode, the vehicle can lean into corners by up to three degrees. The system is built on the AIRMATIC platform and maintains ride height regardless of load. In the Offroad program, a rocking mode raises and lowers the vehicle rhythmically to help free it from sand or mud by alternating tire pressure. The system operates on a 48-volt network with four motor-pump units, one per wheel, and can recuperate electrical energy.
As for technology, the GLS Maybach runs on the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) and supports over-the-air updates. The MBUX Superscreen combines three 12.3-inch displays under one glass surface, with a configurable Zero Layer interface and customizable app folders. More than 40 apps are currently available across audio, video, productivity, and entertainment categories.
The MBUX Virtual Assistant incorporates Microsoft and Google technology, including ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing Search, and Google Gemini, and is designed to hold contextual conversations and recall prior interactions. It appears on the Zero Layer as an avatar shaped like the Mercedes-Benz star in a rose-gold finish.
Rear passengers get two 11.6-inch displays with configurable remote controls for climate, privacy blinds, and entertainment, along with integrated cameras for video calls during the drive.
The GLS Maybach is also equipped with 10 external cameras, five radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and a water-cooled computing unit capable of up to 254 trillion operations per second (TOPS) to support driver-assist functions.
In Europe, the MB.DRIVE Standard package, which includes DISTRONIC Distance Assist, comes standard, with MB.DRIVE ASSIST and MB.DRIVE ASSIST PLUS available depending on market. MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO adds urban point-to-point assisted driving, combining navigation and driving assistance for city driving from parking to destination. Mercedes-Benz classifies this as an SAE-Level 2 system requiring continuous driver supervision, with the driver retaining full responsibility. The feature will be available in China at launch and is scheduled to roll out in the U.S. later this year, with further market availability dependent on local regulations.
The standard MB.DRIVE PARKING ASSIST system can identify open parking spaces on both sides of the vehicle, including diagonal spaces and unmarked spots, and assists when leaving a space the vehicle was parked into manually. Maneuvers are performed at speeds up to 5 km/h, and a new feature provides wheel-protection warnings during parking.
The Reverse Maneuvering Assist function allows the vehicle to retrace the last 150 meters of its path in reverse, displaying the reversing camera feed and a graphic of the planned path on the main screen.
The Mercedes-Maybach GLS is built at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which has produced large SUVs for three decades, starting with the M-Class in 1997. The plant has produced more than five million SUVs across the Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes-Maybach lines.
A dedicated Mercedes-Maybach team hand-finishes the model’s interior features outside the standard assembly line, with team members trained at the Mercedes-Maybach Manufaktur in Germany. Two team members complete the full finishing process for each vehicle before it re-enters the standard SUV production line for final completion and approval.
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