- The new SUV from Maybach is loaded with chrome parts and dripping in luxury.
- Power comes from a mild-hybrid 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with a combined 626 hp.
- Optionally available is a suspension system that actively leans the GLS into corners.
For those seeking the ultimate in on-road luxury, but not satisfied with the space offered up by a flagship Mercedes S-Class, Maybach now have somewhere to spend their money. Maybach’s answer is the new 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680, and it lands only a few months after the standard model went through a comprehensive facelift.
This being a Maybach, the exterior design wouldn’t be complete without loads of chrome, and that’s exactly what this huge SUV has. Things start at the front where there is a new bright surround across the lower grille, and then a central grille with vertical slats. Maybach detailing runs across the inlet vents, more polished trim lines the redesigned front bumper, and the rear gets a new tailgate with a chrome-starred taillight design so the message isn’t lost on departure either.
Read: Maybach Is Building The Ultra-Luxury Vehicle Rolls-Royce Will Never Make
The outer edge of the grille, along with the Maybach branding, lights up too, though whether that reads as classy or tacky is up for debate. Buyers who want still more can add a spotlit Mercedes hood ornament, while rose gold accents sit inside and between the headlights. We’re not the type writing the check for a Mercedes like this, so the call isn’t ours to make. As on the regular GLS, star-shaped LED daytime running lights round out the front.
Fitted as standard are 22-inch wheels, although customers can order larger 23-inch forged shoes finished in chrome. That bigger set brings a gyroscopic Mercedes star centercap, one that keeps itself level even as the wheel spins. Shoppers not so keen on all the brightwork can opt for the Night Series Design Package and Exterior Design Package, swapping in dark chrome elements, anodized aluminum running boards in black, and the bigger wheels in a dark finish.
Even Bezos Would Call This Luxury
Of course, it’s the cabin of the new GLS 680 that is the real highlight. It’s been fitted with the latest MBUX infotainment system with the Superscreen, encompassing three 12.3-inch displays housed within a single piece of glass. The screens continue into the second row, where there are twin 11.6-inch displays, perfect for entertainment while on the go.
New Nappa leather, available with beech brown and macchiato beige finishes, adorns the seats, and those business people being chauffeured around can sip the finest champagne thanks to two bottle holders in the rear fridge. Maybach has also added new insulation materials to the engine bulkhead and transmission tunnel to cut down on obtrusive sounds which may work their way into the cabin.
A 15-speaker, Burmester surround sound system also comes standard, complete with a 710-watt amplifier.
Twin-Turbo Hybrid Power
There’s a new engine under the hood too. It’s Mercedes-Benz’s new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with a flat-plane crank, paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that runs an integrated starter generator and feeds a nine-speed automatic sending power to all four wheels. The V8 itself makes 603 hp and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque, while the ISG chips in another 23 hp. That’s more than what you get in the 577 hp Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Coupe. Mercedes says balance shafts iron out the engine’s vibrations, so it should run quieter as well as harder.
Alongside the new engine sits a revised steering system for better agility and precision, while reworked air suspension has also been developed for the GLS 680.
Available as an option is the E-Active Body Control function that constantly monitors and adjusts spring and damper forces at each wheel, up to 1,000 times per second. A predictive setup scans the surface coming up and preps the dampers before the wheels reach it, while an off-road mode lets the GLS hop itself loose when the going gets messy. It even includes a setting where the GLS will lean into corners by up to three degrees.
Mercedes-Maybach has yet to announce US pricing for the Bentley Bentayga-rivaling GLS 680, though we’d expect it to open north of the outgoing GLS 600’s $180,000 starting figure. What the brand has confirmed is a showroom arrival before the end of 2026, with production running out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which makes it about the most opulent SUV to roll out of an American factory.
Photos Mercedes
