Generation history
The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class has been through 3 generations, starting in 2006, 2012 and 2019. The gaps were 6, 7 years, an average of 6.5. The pace has been steady. The current generation began in 2019. On that cadence the next full redesign points to 2025 through 2027, centered on 2026. This is a projection. It comes from the model's own past redesign years, not from the manufacturer. A mid-cycle refresh usually lands in between. Public records describe the current generation this way: The third generation model debuted at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. Specifications, trims and the NHTSA safety record are on the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class model page.
Every generation
| Generation | Code | Years | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| First generation | X164 | 2006–2012 | The X164 GL-Class debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. |
| Second generation | X166 | 2012–2019 | The X166 GL-Class went on sale in September 2012. |
| Third generation | X167 | 2019–present | The third generation model debuted at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. |
The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class spent 6.5 years per generation on average. The current one is 7 years old. Treat 2025 to 2027 as a range, not a date.
Source: Mercedes-Benz GLS (Wikipedia). The estimate is our arithmetic on those start years.
Open the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class model page for specifications, trims, safety record and answers.
In more detail
The X164 GL-Class debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. It was released around the same time as the similarly sized Audi Q7, and was the first full-size, 7-seater SUV produced by a German automaker. The range of engines consists of V8 petrol engines, and turbocharged V6 and V8 diesel engines. All models are available only in all-wheel drive (4MATIC) configuration.
The X166 GL-Class went on sale in September 2012. Models feature efficiency improvements via the addition of an engine start stop system, drive by wire steering, and new turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. The second generation model also introduced a high performance GL63 AMG variant, powered by the hand-built M157 engine. Following a 2016 facelift it was renamed the GLS, to correspond with the new Mercedes-Benz naming scheme.
The third generation model debuted at the 2019 New York International Auto Show. The engine options at the launch are 3.0-litre turbo inline six (GLS 450 4MATIC) and 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (GLS 580 4MATIC & AMG GLS 63), both petrol with EQ Boost electric motors, and 2.9-litre twin-turbo diesel inline six in two different outputs (GLS 350 d 4MATIC and GLS 450 d 4MATIC). A first SUV version of Mercedes-Maybach, Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC model was released in late 2019. The wheelbase is 2.3 inches longer and nearly an inch wider.
Generation notes adapted from Mercedes-Benz GLS (Wikipedia).
Today's Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class