The subtly bold exterior of the 2020 Mercedes GLS 450 encases an opulent three row interior packed full of luxury, comfort and technology. This full sized SUV sees a mild refresh of the exterior but a major overhaul of the interior for the 2020 model year. The 2020 GLS is the largest and most luxurious SUV ever designed by Mercedes-Benz and is packed full of technology, style and elegance.
SUBTLE YET BOLD EXTERIOR
The exterior design cues of the 2020 GLS appear understated and subtle at first glance as the overall look is pleasant but upon further inspection some of the features really start to bring out a bold and athletic look. The prominent Mercedes-Benz logo is placed front and center inside a thick chrome design that sits in front of the black mesh pattern that spans not only the grille but also most of the bumper area as well. This sporty mesh grille look is complimented by various chrome highlights and the LED headlights. In fact the 2020 GLS has 100% LED lighting for both the exterior and interior.
Photo by Illya Swan 
Photo by Illya Swan 
Photo by Illya Swan
The side view may not inspire any awe, but it does showcase the sheer size and presence of the 2020 GLS, which has a longer wheelbase allowing for better legroom and more versatility for transporting passengers and cargo. The view from the side also gives a nice view of the star-shaped design of the massive 21 inch (upgradable to 23 inch) wheels.
The rear end of the 2020 GLS showcases the clamshell shaped design with the wider bottom and narrower top section. A full width chrome strip splits the top and bottom and sits on top of the wide and narrow taillights. The chrome lower bumper with dual chrome exhausts complete the muscular look of the exterior from the rear.
The exterior does have quite a lot of chrome highlights and if this is not to your liking Mercedes has a Night Package available that will alter the look by switching out the shiny chrome for a glossy black material instead.
While the exterior design is not a huge departure from the exterior of the 2019 GLS, the 2020 version sees many refinement upgrades. Subtle features like sleeker and narrower head and taillights, diffusers on the black mesh grille and rounder edges help bring a more modern and refined look to the exterior of the 2020 GLS.
LUXURIOUS AND TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED INTERIOR
The interior of the 2020 Mercedes GLS 450 has seen a major overhaul compared with the outgoing model year. The update brings the GLS into the modern era and exemplifies comfort, convenience and elegance. There’s also so much technology packed into the interior it’s hard to know where to start!
The GLS comes with a standard 7 seat configuration, which can be upgraded to the optional 6 seat layout with two captain’s chairs in the second row. Alternatively, you can upgrade the second row to give passengers heated, ventilated and massaging seats along with a softer pillowed headrest and a wireless touch screen display in the armrest that can control many of the second row features.
When taking the 2020 GLS 450 on a family roadtrip, the interior did start to feel a bit cramped. But for a five day trip with 3 kids and 3 car seats, I’m not sure what interior wouldn’t feel cramped! The GLS managed to fit all our gear and passengers and made the loading and setup quite easy with the versatile interior and the easy access to the third row.
The interior of the 2020 GLS is packed full of comfort and convenience features like heated, ventilated and massaging seats in the first two rows and five zone climate control. There’s a top of the line ambient lighting feature that changes the atmosphere of the interior at night by customizing the ambient light colour and intensity or selecting from some prebuilt themes of dual colours that change gradually over time.
An innovative ENERGIZING Comfort feature is also available, which integrates the climate control with the seat heating, ventilation and massage and the ambient lighting and sound to lift your spirit and restore/rejuvenate your body.
The interior is adorned with top notch, soft touch materials and is put together in a modern and elegant design, showcasing a massive dual display, unique arm rest handles, top of the line ambient lighting and minimal use of buttons and dials. The widescreen display houses both the traditional gauge display and the central infotainment display all as one impressive and unique widescreen. It offers lots of customization to the look and what is displayed, and the themes can change depending on the preferences selected.
Photo by Illya Swan 
Photo by Illya Swan 
Photo by Illya Swan 
Photo by Illya Swan 
Photo by Illya Swan 
Photo by Illya Swan
While navigating the touch screen to enable or disable features may not have been intuitive at first, drivers will get used to the controls and benefit from the many ways to change a setting through the touch screen on the dash, the touch pad on the center console, the steering wheel mounted controls or the voice commands. Definitely lots of options to control settings!
The Mercedes Benz User Experience (MBUX) integrates AI into the voice control, allowing it to handle more realistic and natural conversation rather than preset commands. For example you can say “I need a coffee” and the navigation will launch for a nearby coffee shop, or you can say “it’s cold in here” and the climate control will kick the heating up. It also goes one step further to learn your habits and phrases.
PERFORMANCE & DRIVE
The 2020 Mercedes GLS is available with two different engines, both of which are more than capable of hauling around this full sized SUV without any noticeable effort. Both engines are equipped with a turbo (one or two) and an electric boost that uses the starter generator to add 21hp for an added boost to accelerations or it can be used to coast gas-free and lower emissions (mild hybrid).
The standard offering is the 3.0L turbo charged inline six cylinder engine with EQ Boost and it will output 362hp and accelerate from 0-60mph acceleration of 5.9 seconds. You upgrade to the more powerful 4.0L biturbo V8 engine with EQ Boost that outputs 483hp and achieves a 0-60mph acceleration of 5.2 seconds. These powerful engines also help the GLS achieve a towing capacity of 3,500kg for transporting heavy loads.
Both engines are paired with the nine speed automatic transmission offering a variety of gear ratios allowing for more optimized driving modes, quicker responsiveness and more efficient and quieter cruising.
Overall, the most noticeable driving characteristic is the silky smooth ride that soaks up and disperses all the bumps and cracks in the road. Put a bit more spirit into the driving and you’ll notice the available power which is harnessed in a refined manner. Throw the GLS into a few turns to see the responsive steering feedback and the grippy traction, all while keeping passengers comfortable and relaxed with reduced body roll thanks to the electronically controlled air spring suspension. Combine this all together dynamically and you can use the drive mode selection to really pinpoint the style of driving you’re looking for (eco, comfort, sport, off-road or custom).
The equipped adjustable suspension goes beyond just raising and lowering the height of the GLS, it can also use the camera to scan the road ahead to reduce bumpiness and even initiate automated sequences to lean into curves reducing body sway or rock the GLS out of a sand trap or snow.
Even with a fully loaded (and I mean packed to the brim) cabin, containing 5 passengers, 3 car seats, luggage and groceries for a five day roadtrip, the GLS drove like a dream. Same enormous power at hand, same comfortable ride and the driving technology really helped maneuver the GLS safely.
Another unique feature is the upgraded navigation system which uses augmented reality to overlay the upcoming turns and street names directly onto live video to make navigating easier and more intuitive versus tradition GPS mapping.
You can also go a step further than simple vehicle ownership and use the Mercedes app to connect with your GLS on a more advanced level to schedule services, lock and unlock the doors and remote start the engine all from within the app.
FINAL THOUGHTS
With a starting price of $95,500 that can easily reach over $120,000 with various options and packages, the 2020 GLS 450 is geared towards the wealthy suburban family that appreciates the finer things but may also require performance like towing capacity, off road capabilities and the latest in driving technology. Mercedes has done a tremendous job with the 2020 GLS and while the subtle and refined exterior may not wow you, you’ll be blown away by the amazingly smooth and quiet ride and the luxurious and elegant interior.
