[4] The GLS is considered the flagship of the marque's SUV lineup, although the body-on-frame G-Class (originally intended for military off-roading but also offered in luxurious trims) is more expensive and has been in production longer.

From 2016 with the release of the facelifted second generation model, the GL-Class was renamed to GLS as per the revised nomenclature adopted by Mercedes.

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 second generation model also introduced a high performance GL63 AMG variant, powered by the hand-built M157 engine.

It uses the same architecture as the latest GLE with MBUX and dual 12.3-inch screens as well as E-Active Body Control and car-to-X communication.