Mercedes Maybach GLS to be unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show

MANILA: Daimler just announced that the Mercedes Maybach GLS will make its debut next month at the 17th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition along with five other vehicles.

The Mercedes Maybach GLS has been spotted several times with minimal camouflage while undergoing road testing so don’t hold your breath when it comes to the exterior styling. But what really gets us curious is what’s under the hood and inside the cabin. Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer of Daimler describes the GLS as a combination of “modern luxury with the character of an off-roader. Powerful highlights of the off-road design idiom combine with an elegance reminiscent of a classic luxury saloon. In our view, the new GLS offers the best of all these worlds.”

Half a decade ago, Daimler also introduced the current generation Mercedes Maybach S Class at the same stage. The new Maybach GLS will be a level-up version of the already posh full-size SUV. Without giving any specific details, Daimler, in a press release, promised that the new flagship Maybach GLS will come with “state-of-the-art technology, exceptional comfort, and the Maybach design philosophy make the vehicle a hallmark Maybach luxury experience.”

It will also come with “plenty of space for the first-class front and rear compartments” which most people already see as a given with the size of the GLS. Expect the GLS to have a two-row layout with the second row to either have a bench or two individual rear seats. What remains to be seen however is if the wheelbase will be manipulated with to free up more rear legroom as in the case of the S-Class and the G-Class Landaulet Special Edition.

There’s also the question of the price tag. Besides the SUV-specific fragrance for the cabin which was described as “white osmanthus blossom, floral and light, is rounded off by a gentle leather note and spicy tea. This elegant blend is on a bed of natural greenery,” we wonder how opulent the upholsteries would have to be to justify the rumored $200,000 price tag. And if the rumored price is true, the GLS is set to become the most expensive vehicle ever built in the United States and will likely dethrone the $157,000 NSX.

After its debut at the 17th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition which will be held from November 22 to December 1 in Canton Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China, the Mercedes Maybach GLS is expected to go on sale sometime in 2020.

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