The GLS is a family car, office car, and a palatial bungalow – all rolled into one. And now with the AMG Line, this flagship SUV by MercedesBenz gives you the feel of a sports car as well.
AMG is the supercar arm of MercedesBenz, and AMG Line means visual elements of AMG supercars have been added to the GLS. These include AMGinspired aprons and air inlets at the front, AMG side panels, AMG rear apron, and even the brakes. Its 21inch AMG lightalloy wheels complete the sporty look.
Inside the cabin, it gets AMGstyle multifunction sports steering wheel in Nappa leather, AMG sports pedals in brushed stainless steel, and AMG floormats.
It also gets the AMG Night Package (black design elements, including the roof rails in matte black finish).
It looks like a mix between an aircraft and a school bus – the body is smooth like an Airbus, and the size like a minibus (more than 5.2 metres). It has a huge cabin, 7star plastic and leather quality, and there are no sharp edges inside.
The GLS AMG Line is fast – from 0100 km/h in just 6.1 seconds. It has an electric motor that recovers braking energy and makes it available as additional power. You feel that extra power when overtaking long vehicles, when it behaves like a rocket. But the weight shows – it has body roll, and behaves a bit clumsy on sharp turns. While I drove the petrol, there’s also the option of a diesel engine, which is as quick and feels as powerful.
Owners of such cars in India usually have a driver, and usually take the rear seat. Here, this car is on another level. The rear seat is like a sofa, and the suspension is so fine that you can easily work on your laptop, or take a nap. Getting in and out is easy, and family outings can be really comfortable.
In case you were planning to buy the GLS (Rs 1.37 crore onwards), the GLS AMG Line (Rs 1.4 crore for petrol, and Rs 1.43 crore for diesel) seems to be a better buy – because just for Rs 34 lakh extra, you get a distinctive AMG styling that truly sets it apart.
