Sneak a peek at the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS and you might notice that the large SUV looks slightly different. Mercedes’ largest SUV is getting a mid-cycle refresh for 2024, bringing an updated look, more powerful engines, new tech, and more features for the SUV. The changes may be slight, but they’re there and they’re coming after similar changes to the GLC and CLA.
Fans of the old GLS shouldn’t worry about the 2024’s updated exterior design, as the minor changes mostly affect the front end. The large SUV’s front grille has been updated with new horizontal slats, and there’s new black trim that surrounds the grille to showcase its size. The four louvers in the grille are finished in “Silver Shadow,” which is a fancy way of saying dark chrome in Mercedes. Some slight changes have been made to the front bumper, and new taillights are the only changes that Mercedes has made at the back.
Two new exterior colors have been added to the GLS’ roster for 2024: Twilight Blue Metallic and MANUFAKTUR Alpine Grey. If you thought 20-inch wheels were plenty big enough, you’d be wrong, because the 2024 AMG GLS 63 and Maybach GLS 600 are now available with 23-inch forged wheels. To let everyone know that you have an SUV with the same amount of horsepower as a supercar, the AMG GLS 63 now comes with red-painted brake calipers. Because red is the color of speed. Everyone knows that.
While changes to the GLS’ exterior design are light, the updates to the engines are harder to miss. The GLS 450 turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine now makes 375 horsepower instead of 362. And the GLS 580’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 has been updated to make 510 horsepower, up from 483 horsepower. The AMG GLS 63 and Maybach GLS 600 don’t get any engine performance updates, but it’s not like either of these two trims needed more power.
Mercedes may not have updated the AMG GLS 63’s engine, but it has revised the SUV’s air suspension and anti-roll system. These two items get updated software that Mercedes claims helps widen the gap between a comfortable ride and sporty handling.
For shoppers that want to take their six-figure SUV off-roading, the GLS 580 is available with a new Off-Road Engineering package. It adds revised air suspension for an extra 1.2 inches of ground clearance and underbody skid plates.
The GLS’ interior benefits from similarly small changes for 2024. New leather options are now available, as are new interior trim choices including MANUFAKTUR Piano Lacquer Flowing Lines, which was previously only available on the Maybach GLS 600. Sharp-eyed Mercedes fans will notice that the GLS has adopted a similar steering wheel to the brand’s other vehicles with touch-sensitive controls and a four-spoke design. Mercedes latest MBUX infotainment system also makes it to the list of changes for the new model year, bringing the latest display designs to the SUV. The GLS will continue to come with two 12.3-inch displays.
Most GLS trims arrive with more standard features for 2024, but the AMG GLS 63 is the one that really benefits the most from the new equipment. The sporty SUV now comes with heated and ventilated seats, a panoramic sunroof, a performance exhaust system, blind spot monitoring, automatic high-beam assist, a Burmester audio system, and a surround-view camera.
The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS is set to arrive at dealerships before the end of the year. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but we’re sure the changes will see pricing for the large SUV creep up.
