2023 Mercedes-Maybach GLS Performance

The Maybach GLS performs precisely the way you'd think a twin-turbo V8 luxury SUV would perform: it's brutally effective in a straight line despite the fact you'll seldom ever call upon its ability to hit the 0-60 mph dash in 4.8 seconds but is at its happiest cruising at highway speeds, where it can overtake unsuspecting family sedans with a mere dip of the big toe and reach its electronically governed top speed of 130 mph with ease. The Maybach GLS is motivated by a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine which sends its power to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. It's effortlessly smooth, too, with the transmission tuned for refinement and the engine aided by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system called EQ Boost that helps it off the line and uses its 184-lb-ft electric motor to torque-fill any gap in the powerband, while also aiding a towing capacity of 7,700 lbs. With a total power output of 550 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque, performance should be enough for most, but if you want to go even faster, you can always look at the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, which trades plushness for speed, churning out 603 horsepower.

Under the hood of the Maybach GLS, you'll find a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 used in many an AMG product. Here, it's tuned for refinement over outright power but still produces 550 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque. The SUV has Mercedes' 4MATIC fully variable AWD and a nine-speed automatic transmission as standard. This might not be as exotic as the twin-turbo V12 engines of old, but this power plant still delivers explosive performance while being perfectly refined at the same time. The Maybach GLS is also technically a hybrid: its gas engine is paired with EQ Boost and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that adds an additional 21 hp and 184 lb-ft. Between this and the nine-speed automatic, which is already silky-smooth in the standard GLS and is even more imperceptible here, the Maybach GLS is utterly divine, gliding up to speed effortlessly, and overtaking on a whim, without any of the harsh kickdown from the transmission that might be experienced in an AMG variant. There's even a dedicated Maybach mode that pulls off in second gear, disengages the engine stop/start system, and flattens the accelerator curve to make the experience as smooth as possible for passengers. Its size makes it tricky to deal with in the city, but from a powertrain perspective, the Maybach GLS is happy at any speed with an endless well of torque to draw from when you need to get up and go, and yet a smoothness that never feels hurried.

You don't even consider buying a Maybach if you're in any way concerned about fuel costs, as the experience supersedes all else. EPA gas mileage figures for the Maybach GLS are claimed at 14/20/17 mpg city/highway/combined. This is only marginally better than the more powerful AMG GLS 63, but with driving modes that specifically disengage the auto stop/start for the sake of refinement, this is no surprise. The competition doesn't fare much better: the V8 Bentley Bentayga will manage the same figures with a slight improvement on the highway at 21 mpg, while the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, with 50% more cylinders and 68% more displacement will gulp down gas at a rate of 12/19/14 mpg.

A 23.8-gallon fuel tank gives the Maybach GLS an estimated range of around 400 miles.