Mercedes-Benz is seemingly playing it slow with the development of the refreshed GLS. The third generation of the company’s flagship SUV was launched in 2020, which means it is now in its third year on the market. A regular mid-cycle refresh for Mercedes comes around the fourth year of production and it shouldn’t take long until we finally see the facelifted GLS debut. Until then, we have new spy photos showing a prototype testing with little camouflage.
This isn’t the regular model, though. Our photographers in Northern Europe caught the AMG 63 model, which is the luxury SUV’s range-topping version. Judging by what we see, there aren’t many changes planned for the exterior despite the camouflaged front end. The only little change we see at the front is what looks to be slightly thicker bars in the lower section of the bumper but that could be simply the disguise tricking our eyes. The overall bumper design doesn’t look modified.
Gallery: Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 facelift spy photos
The situation is similar at the back. We don’t see actual tweaks but snow and ice are covering big portions of the rear hood, the taillights, and the rear window, giving the GLS 63 a natural camouflage. The lower section of the bumper is uncovered and even the number and shape of the pipes seem unchanged compared to the current model. Seeing a camouflage foil connecting the taillights could possibly mean there’s a LED strip underneath but we can’t confirm that at the moment.
We don’t expect big changes under the hood, too. The GLS 63 already has electric support in the form of a mild-hybrid system for the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 603 horsepower and 627 plus 184 pound-feet of torque (combustion engine plus electric motor). With this mill, the large and heavy SUV can accelerate from a standstill to 62 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds, while the top speed is electronically governed at 155 mph without the optional Driver’s Package.
Seeing how conservative Mercedes is being with the design tweaks, we expect the GLS to show its mildly refreshed face very soon. The AMG version is probably going to debut a few months later, possibly going on sale as a 2024 model.
