2027 Mercedes-Benz GLS Off-Road Impressions: Hittin’ the Dirt

Think Mercedes’ flagship SUV can’t get down and dirty? You’d be wrong.

The Mercedes-Benz GLS is a sport utility vehicle, which by definition are designed to handle off-road driving. But, c’mon. A Mercedes SUV? Off-road? Believe it—if our experience in the latest version of the seven-passenger luxury SUV is any indication.

Mercedes-Benz invited media to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the global premiere of the updated 2027 GLE and the larger 2027 GLS SUVs slated to be assembled at the plant there. The huge complex also has a number of off-road trails for vehicle testing and we were offered a ride in an early build of the updated 2027 GLS580 with the Off-Road package.

And yet we couldn’t shake our doubts. Given its luxury positioning and its size, the GLS isn’t a poster child for off-roading, and the grounds of an assembly plant in Alabama aren’t exactly Moab or the Rubicon. How much could we possibly experience?

Expectations Were Low

With these moderate expectations in mind, we climbed into the passenger seat for what we anticipated would be the yacht rock equivalent of rock crawling. At least we wer in the new GLS, a very pleasant place to be, especially the 580 with its 4.0-liter V-8 with a new flat-plane crankshaft that generates 530 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is standard, and the standard air suspension and active body control can raise the vehicle, increasing ground clearance by about three inches. The Off-Road pack brings items such as skid plates for underbody protection, bigger differential housings, and a more sensitive Electronic Stability Control program.

The transfer case features a 1:2.93 low-range reduction gear, which allows even higher torque transfer to the wheels. When operating with axle locking, this ensures optimum traction at both ends during off-road driving. Power delivery via the pedal can also be controlled more finely when off-road, especially at low and crawling speeds.

The GLS also has hill descent control and DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation), the latter of which is essentially cruise control for slow off-road crawling with the speed set via steering wheel controls like regular cruise control. The driver activated it to go down a steep hill and it handled the task with aplomb, gently controlling the speed for a seamless descent.

Testing the GLS’s Mettle

The course was far more challenging than we anticipated. The GLS climbed hills of boulders, piles of logs, and obstacles formed from railway ties, all the while showcasing its wheel travel and articulation as one wheel stayed planted while another hung in the air. It plunged into deep water holes replete with water moccasins, a venomous and aggressive snake. The inclines were surprisingly steep, with up to 65 percent of incline. The GLS tackled and conquered it all—on 22-inch street tires. No big slips, no getting stuck. No second attempts.

Mercedes has other off-road party tricks, as well. The Off-Road program includes the signature Free-Wheel mode to free a vehicle stuck in, say, sand. This bouncy mode raises and lowers the vehicle, eventually bounding it free. You can also activate Wheel Control, where the suspension level can be adjusted individually for each wheel using the infotainment screen to better level the vehicle on rough terrain. We did not experience these features on our ride.

Checking Out The Terrain

The 2027 GLS has a new pillar-to-pillar glass housing for three 12.3-inch displays for the driver, the passenger, and the infotainment screen in the center. Because the GLS has a network of 10 cameras, five radars sensors and 12 ultrasonic sensors to monitor what is happening around the vehicle, it can offer what Mercedes calls a “transparent hood.”

This uses 360-degree cameras to display a virtual view of the ground directly beneath the front engine compartment to better plan for or avoid obstacles at low speeds. The picture of the ground below is crisp on the infotainment screen and especially helpful on a steep incline when all you can see out the windshield is the sky above.

We came away from rides over three separate off-road trails impressed. We doubt many GLS owners will put their vehicles through anything close to what Mercedes’ test team does, but they can rest assured that the vehicle is up to the challenge without having to personally subject their SUV to trail rash.