The Maybach GLS is definitely a very cool package, but one place where it falls short — especially when compared to its sedan sibling — is under the hood. There’s just one engine available in the U.S., and it’s not the right one. While S-Class buyers get the choice of a V8 or V12, GLS buyers only get a hopped-up version of Mercedes’ M177 EVO V8, which now has a flat-plane crank. Sure, it produces similar power to Mercedes’ V12, but it’s just not the same, man. I suppose it’s not exactly unexpected. I mean, the Maybach GLS never offered a V12.
In any case, this twin-turbocharged mild-hybrid 4.0-liter V8 puts out an incredibly strong 612 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. That’s the same amount of horsepower and 37 fewer torque than the V12 S-Class, but with the help of that new 48-volt mild-hybrid system, it can pull this 6,195-pound behemoth from 0 to 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds and go on to a top speed of 155 mph. That’s serious speed, especially in a 205.5-inch beast like the Maybach GLS.
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This is also way more power than it had before, hence the rename from GLS600 to GLS680. In 2026, the thing had to make do with just 550 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. I’m so glad those days are behind us. Having fewer than 600 horsepower in 2026 is just embarrassing.
Mercedes-Maybach also did some steering and chassis retuning for 2027 to give the GLS a more comfortable ride that still provides “greater precision […] whether navigating the grandest of boulevards or the most winding of country roads.” The updated Airmatic suspension system now has intelligent damping, meaning it uses car-to-car information from other Mercedes vehicles driving ahead to let your car know what the road is like. The data is sent to the Mercedes-Benz Cloud, and the system can then anticipate the road and automatically adjust the damper setting to make the ride that much more comfortable.
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It also comes with Mercedes’ fantastic suite of driver assistance systems, including MB.Drive Assist Pro2 with a City Pro function. It’s not going to ship at launch, but the system is supposed to enable seamless point-to-point navigation when it becomes available with an over-the-air update.
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If this all sounds appealing to you, then I’ve got good news. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS680 should start rolling off the line soon at the automaker’s plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, though exact timing hasn’t been laid out just yet. We can expect to learn more about concrete timing and pricing as we get closer to the car’s official launch date.
With all that being said, I’m not so sure, big dawg. If it were my money, which it obviously is, I think I’d have to stick with the Maybach S-Class. Yes, there’s going to be more cargo space and passenger room inside the GLS. Yes, it’s more imposing and a large SUV is more in vogue than a large sedan. But there’s just something about the S-Class. I’m not sure if it’s the added wheelbase to give it a more visual distinction from the normal car or the inclusion of the twin-turbo V12, but the S-Class is the Maybach I think I’d go with. Still, Mercedes has done an admirable job of keeping its flagship SUV relevant so many years after it first went on sale.
