2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS680 Brings the BrightworkMercedes-MaybachWhen someone drops six figures on a Mercedes-Benz SUV, they typically have a G-Class in mind. The irrepressible G-Wagen enjoyed another 23-percent sales jump in 2025, to a record 49,700 global sales. The Mercedes-Maybach GLS can't touch the G-Class for cultural clout or popularity, but Mercedes hopes a decisive mid-cycle upgrade will give the 2027 GLS680 a bit more juice among the status-conscious.Like the facelifted Maybach S-Class, this SUV looks to be more of an attention-getter than its predecessor. A new illuminated rim surrounds its hefty radiator grille. The grille's etched Maybach script is also lit from within, and its standing Mercedes star ornament can be lit the same as an option. Enormous headlamp lenses flash glowing rose gold accents like designer sunglasses, with integrated star elements. Front air inlets are adorned with the double-M Maybach pattern in chrome, with more brightwork on a new bumper underguard. Do skip the standard 22-inch wheels in favor of the 23-inch Maybach forged options whose center caps, mounted on ball bearings, keep their Mercedes star standing upright at all times.Anodized aluminum running boards power from the sides in less than one second, lit by an LED strip. A reworked tailgate helps visually marry the new taillights, also filled with three-dimensional crimson stars. An expanded paint palette extends to Maybach's signature two-tone paints; Mercedes showed off a sharp Dark Petrol/Verde Silver Metallic combo at a private home overlooking France's Cote d'Azur during our first drive of the Maybach S580 sedan.AdvertisementAdvertisementAn uprated version of Mercedes's new M177 Evo V-8 boosts power by nearly 10 percent; the flat-crank twin-turbo 4.0-liter generates 603 horsepower and 627-pound feet of torque, an increase of 53 hp and 89 lb.-ft. A 48-volt mild hybrid system contributes up to 23 hp of boost, along with energy recuperation and engine start-stop functions.Mercedes-MaybachMercedes says a quicker steering ratio will boost agility and response when the Maybach goes on sale in the fourth quarter. Familiar E-Active Body Control, part of a standard Airmatic suspension, can adjust road-sensing dampers 1000 times per second to counteract body roll, dive or lift, and a new feature can adjust dampers based on Car-to-X data beamed from Mercedes vehicles driving ahead. As on the reworked S-Class, a "Maybach" driving mode promises a new level of magic-carpet comfort on the road.Naturally, it's the stuff inside that sells Maybachs, including this exclusively two-row version of a three-row GLS. Among its Bentley-esque options, a popular Manufaktur headliner combines up to 20 pieces of leather, hand-stitched and signed by a single craftsperson. Newly expressive design choices include a handsome blend of Nappa leather in Beech Brown and Macchiato Beige, and a pair of trim finishes: a natural-grain brown walnut wood and high-gloss silver metallic fabric.Mercedes-MaybachAgain mimicking the Maybach S-Class, the latest Superscreen arrays three 12.3-inch displays under a seamless sweep of glass, with rose gold 3D dials for driver's instruments. A "Zero Layer" design keeps the most-relevant info and recently used apps a single touch away. That's all powered by the newest MB.OS operating system, MBUX Infotainment and a virtual assistant that takes cues from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini.AdvertisementAdvertisementStyle aside, this Maybach's most contentious issue may be space. The Maybach S-Class sedan benefits from a 7.1-inch wheelbase stretch that grants nearly 50 inches of rear legroom, and passengers are beckoned into that airy atelier via fully motorized doors. The GLS680 ditches a standard GLS's third row to maximize second-row space, but the gains feel more negligible. (Plus, without the optional motorized portals, there's less sense of occasion.) The GLS680 gains just 1.5 inches of rear legroom, to 43.4. That's a healthy amount, but a Ram 1500 Crew Cab has 1.8 inches more. There's also not much room for larger Ferragamo-clad toes below the front seat cushions.Mercedes-MaybachIn Mercedes's defense, this GLS offers more rear legroom than either a Bentley Bentayga or Rolls-Royce Cullinan, at a respective 40.9 or 42.9 inches—and optional executive seats do offer about 43 degrees of recline. Opting for that executive seating package lets a lucky right-hand occupant slide the front seat forward for an airliner-style experience, though again, not as dramatic as the sedan's. Those executive seats also add a calf massage function to their vibrating repertoire. Yet choose those executive seats and an optional champagne chiller, which rudely bisects the cargo area, and you're looking at a full-size SUV with less practical trunk space than a Honda Civic. There's enough space for two large carry-ons, maybe a backpack or two, and that's it.One consolation is an optional rear-seat entertainment system with a pair of 11.6-inch HD displays. A pair of smartly designed MBUX remote controls manage entertainment, climate controls, seats and other functions. When the big wheel in back isn't watching Moana movie on Disney +, integrated rear cameras support video conferencing via Microsoft Teams, and a new rear wireless pad now charges a pair of smartphones side-by-side. Finally, a standard Burmester 3D audio system with Dolby Atmos gets a more-powerful 710-watt amplifier and adds a pair of surround-sound speakers to the rear, for a total of 17.However obscure in some quarters, the Maybach name will always be part of Germany's automaking history. But for what it's worth, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS SUV makes its sweet home in Alabama, built there since 2021 at Mercedes's global hub of SUV production. Mercedes hasn't set pricing, but the 2026 GLS600 starts from $181,350, and we expect only a modest increase for this new model.AdvertisementAdvertisementWith everyone from Bentley and Rolls to Aston-Martin and Ferrari peddling ultra-luxury SUVs, no one will blame Mercedes for trying to carve out a bigger slice of this prime-beef market. We'll hold off on performance critiques and comparisons until we drive this 2027 model. But questions linger.Mercedes-MaybachDamning with faint praise, this grander GLS looks much better than the electric Maybach EQS SUV, which resembled a Costco-sized bar of soap, but it's not dynamic-looking or distinctive even versus a G-Class or Range Rover. Those blue-chippers have built more brand equity, and function as a secret handshake among wealthy people: Pull up in one, and nothing more needs to be said. This GLS, like the standard version, is a bit of a suburban bus. Mercedes will say the Maybach GLS is more luxurious than a G-Class, and it is. But it takes more than chrome, wood and leather to turn a high-ed SUV into an A-lister.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State