Mercedes-Benz GLS 450d Night Edition | Photo Credit: Kaizad Adil Darukhanawala

There was a time, not long ago, when luxury was an uncomplicated phenomenon. To be luxurious, a car had to be large, smooth and quiet on the inside. On the outside, it could range between being stately and flamboyant and if the cabin was put together using an endangered material (such as a tree, for instance), it was considered all right. Fortunately, that breed of car isn’t entirely extinct yet. At least, the Mercedes-Benz GLS seems to suggest so.

The car you see here is the GLS 450d 4MATIC Night Edition, a special variant you can have in both petrol and diesel form. The Night Edition bits include blacked-out exterior trim and door sills, aside from beautifully finished nappa leather seats, exquisite open-pore oak wood trim on the dashboard and door panels, and a pair of 11.6-inch MBUX screens at the rear. There’s more, of course.

skilled swiftness

Our test car came with the 3.0-litre V6 diesel that produces 362 bhp (+20 bhp from the mild hybrid) and 76.4 kg-m of torque! That’s enough output to make it go from 0-100 kph in a claimed 6.1 seconds — incredible, for something that looks large enough to dwarf an apartment, right? Of course, you don’t buy a GLS to extract that kind of performance from it — or what do I know? — and for those with gentler expectations, there’s enough pleasure to be derived out of the 9-speed automatic transmission and the AirMatic adaptive suspension that produces truly refined ride quality. Mercedes also offers the services of its proven 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, something I didn’t feel necessary to explore on this drive.

The GLS’ true character, especially in diesel guise, is its ability to travel far in an absolutely effortless manner. It’s the kind of car you could do a 1000-km day in (nearly all of it on just a tankful, courtesy the 90-litre fuel tank) and emerge feeling as if you were out to run errands. At low speeds, you can tell it’s a diesel, but as you settle into highway speeds there’s almost no way to distinguish it from a petrol. It just glides and wafts, becoming alive with every aggressive throttle input, making light work of overtakes and while still feeling like an enjoyable powerhouse from behind the wheel.

In the city, you (or your chauffeur) will have to be mindful of its dimensions — its 5.2-metre length is no joke — although with good outward visibility and helpful camera views, it’s not as challenging to drive as you’d imagine. Indeed, as I discovered, driving the GLS in any environment remains a relaxing, calming experience, further amplified by the plush, tastefully understated cabin. Fortunately, the front seats are as welcoming as the rear, which means you can switch either way without regret.

At the rear, in fact, is a comprehensive MBUX entertainment package, replete with two individual seatback-mounted screens, each of which gets its own

headphones and a touch-based central command screen as well. Space is elaborate to say the least and, courtesy of the all-important sunshades, you can be driven around in absolute privacy, too. The third row can fit adults in decent comfort, but perhaps not over long distances. It’s best you fold it down and create an even larger boot instead!

Is it worth the ₹1.39 crore (ex-showroom) price tag, though? When you consider the mere ₹2 lakh premium it commands over the petrol, it really doesn’t feel like a big ask for the kind of economy and long-range usability the GLS 450d presents. Also, considering the over-the-top GLS 600 Maybach is more than twice as expensive ( ₹2.92 crore), the GLS 450d, especially in the Night Edition spec, seems like a steal. Regardless of how you view it, the truth is, the GLS is among the few cars which gets luxury just right — at its very core, that is — and that’s all the reason you’ll ever need to bring one home.

@TheMotorGram

Published on July 31, 2026