In the lineup of this German carmaker, the GLS takes a special place, as the largest vehicle on the offer. It is one of the most luxurious Mercedes models ever made and what we’ve always liked about it is a pretty generous engine offer. It starts with a V6, while the most powerful AMG models use twin-turbo V8 units. Between them, there was always a slightly detuned V8 but that won’t be the case anymore. Still, so rumors talk about the possibility to see the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 once again, but with a little bit different setup. It looks like this badge could be used for a hybrid version if we could trust rumors.
Other than the new powertrain, we don’t believe that this SUV could come with bigger changes. Simply, the current generation has been around for just a couple of years and it feels fresh in every aspect. It’s still early for any bigger updates, though minor tweaks are always possible.
We believe that the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 could arrive sometime in the second half of 2022.
2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 Powertrain
As we’ve just mentioned, the new 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 could come as a new version, with a new powertrain. In the past, this badge was used for a version that used a 4.7-liter V8 engine, but the current generation came with a new 4.0-liter engine and the model was renamed GLS580. Eventually, this model was discontinued and replacement hasn’t come yet.
That’s why many believe in a comeback of this designation. However, the powertrain setup would be different this time. We presume it could come with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which would probably be based on a six-cylinder engine.
The rest of the powertrain lineup should remain the same, which means that the offer would start with six cylinders. Eight cylinders would remain reserved for AMG-badged models.
2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 Design
Design-wise, the new version wouldn’t be much different compared to the rest of the lineup. So, the styling would remain the same as well. This SUV comes with a pretty conventional aesthetical approach and we consider it very elegant. For the next year, we could see it with new color options on the offer, though anything more than that would be a real surprise.
The mechanical aspect wouldn’t change either. This is a fresh model and one of the best things about it is the ride quality. With this SUV, you may count on a pretty high level of comfort, thanks to the very refined setup that includes air suspension as well. At the same time, handling is quite engaging, while the level of athleticism is surprisingly high for a vehicle of this size and weight.
Interior
On the inside, you may count on a typical Mercedes-Benz level of luxury. The build quality is pretty impressive, while the materials are super fine. The cabin is full of high-tech features, which give a special flavor to the interior design, which looks a little bit flashier compared to rivals like BMW X7.
Besides excellent interior quality, the GLS also offers plenty of passenger room. The first two rows are very generous with space and accommodate adults with ease. Also, we really like the driving position. The third row is a little bit tighter compared to the front rows. However, it still accommodates adults in a pretty nice fashion. When it comes to cargo space, you may count on about 17.4 cubic feet of space with all of its seats up, between 42.7 and 48.7 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 84.7 cubic feet of the total cargo volume. Those are quite typical numbers for the class.
Features
This aspect shouldn’t bring significant changes either, so the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 would come with a pretty similar list of standard and available equipment as the current model year. So, all models would come standard with a 12.3-inch touch screen, a touchpad controller, navigation, Bluetooth, eight USB ports, a 13-speaker Burmester audio system, satellite radio, HD Radio, an in-car communication system, wireless device charging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, as well as with a sunroof, quad-zone automatic climate control, remote start, and a parking damage detector.
When it comes to options, we would expect to see things like a panoramic sunroof and five-zone automatic climate control, as well as tech goodies like a 7-inch MBUX tablet for the second row, a 26-speaker Burmester audio system, second-row wireless device charging, and a Wi-Fi hot spot.
2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 Release Date and Price
We presume that the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS550 would come sometime in 2022. We estimate that this version would cost around 85.000 dollars. On the other hand, the base GLS with the V6 engine cost around $78.000.
