Mercedes-Maybach GLS revealed with “otherworldly” levels of luxury
Hold off on that Bentley Bentayga order, the 2026 Maybach GLS has just been revealed
The GLS is the pinnacle of the Mercedes SUV line-up, essentially acting as a jacked-up alternative to the S-Class limousine. But if it’s still not quite special enough for you, then Maybach may have just revealed the solution, with its take on the luxury flagship.
While we don’t know if the Maybach GLS will be sold in the UK, Mercedes says European orders for the Maybach GLS will open at the end of July with specific markets to be announced later on. What we do know from Mercedes is that the Maybach GLS is “true to Wilhelm Maybach’s [the firm’s founder] enduring maxim” from 105 years ago: “to create the very best from the very best”.
What does that mean in 2026? Well, the Maybach GLS 680 gets the same facelift that arrived on the regular Mercedes GLS earlier this year. That includes new-look lights front and rear with Mercedes’ three-point star light signature, redesigned bumpers plus a reshaped grille.
For the Maybach edition, that grille sports a unique look with ‘Maybach’ lettering, an illuminated outline and, in certain markets, a lit-up bonnet emblem. One classic Maybach detail comes in the shape of larger, thick-spoke wheels – forged 23-inch rims in this case. Here, the German company has taken a leaf out of Rolls-Royce’s book because the wheel includes a balanced Mercedes star that remains upright at all times.
For even more bling, you also get Maybach badging on the lower air intakes on the front bumper, additional chrome on the lower edge all around the body, and rose-gold accents within the headlight clusters.
Step inside the Maybach GLS (aided by electric running boards that deploy in less than a second) and you’re met with wall-to-wall white Nappa leather that’ll have you wondering if you’re inside a giant Birkin handbag. Naturally, as with the exterior, you can opt for various colours inside courtesy of Mercedes’ Manufaktur personalisation programme.
You also get the same upgrades as in the facelifted GLS, such as Merc’s latest MBUX user interface accessed through three 12.3-inch displays, but it’s the luxurious extras that help set the Maybach apart. These include the optional ‘Executive Seat’ recliners in the back, which turn the vast 5.2-metre-long GLS into a mere four-seater, but also feature new massage functions and even the ability to massage your calves.
The standard GLS’s 390bhp mild-hybrid diesel engine probably wouldn’t cut it for most Maybach buyers, so there’s the same 600bhp 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as in the old Mercedes-AMG GLS 63. Here, it gets a new mild-hybrid system that, it’s claimed, “fills every gap in the power delivery with seamless, instantaneous precision, enabling coasting, recuperation and an almost imperceptible start-stop function”. Even with the Maybach expected to weigh more than the Mercedes, the GLS 680 should still sprint from 0-62mph in around 4.5 seconds.
Considering that the most expensive version of the Mercedes GLS (the GLS 450 d Exclusive Premium Plus) costs a fiver under £105,000, we can presume the Maybach will sit closer to the £150,000 mark if it does make its way to the UK.
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