Mercedes-Maybach Launches a Refreshed GLS 680 for 2027

• The GLS is the flagship of the Mercedes-Benz SUV family and it gets its own Maybach variant.

• The refreshed GLS 680 adds new interior colours, better sound systems, and extended seat massage functions

• A new V8 engine delivers 53 more horsepower and 89 more lb-ft of torque than before.

A bit over four months after it unveiled the refreshed 2027 GLS, Mercedes-Benz lifted the covers off the Maybach version of this modernized large SUV.

Indeed, the brand’s flagship SUV continues to be offered with a Maybach trim, which is Mercedes-Benz’s division tasked with competing against Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

Like the other versions of the 2027 GLS, the Maybach GLS 680 receives a number of design updates inside and out, along with a new V8 engine.

In keeping with the latest Mercedes-Benz design language, the 2027 GLS and its Maybach variant gain star-shaped daytime running lamps up front and triangular taillamps at the rear.

The front grille has also been revised, with the Maybach featuring a prominent chromed pattern of thin vertical stripes and an illuminated surround, which includes the trim level’s script up top.

The Maybach “double-M” logo also makes an appearance up front as part of a repeating motif that covers the air intakes at the outside corners of the bumper cover.

Other areas in which the GLS 680 stands out from other GLS models include unique alloy wheel designs, along with a heavier use of chrome elements around the body, including the roof racks and the retractable running boards.

Of course, the interior is where Maybach models usually diverge the most from the Mercedes-Benz cars they are based on, and this remains true for the 2027 Maybach GLS.

Indeed, this version builds upon the already well-appointed Mercedes-Benz GLS with items such as power-operated rear captain’s chairs, a full-length rear center console that features a storage compartment for wine glasses and stowable tray tables, along with the executive seat package.

This seating option makes it possible for the rear passengers to recline and stretch out thanks to extendable leg rests. Like those up front, these seats include a reworked vibration massage function.

While this option makes the GLS, a full-size SUV, into a four-seater, it also gives the passengers the most opulent experience possible in a Mercedes product.

New colours for the leather upholstery are part of the 2027 refresh, along with a new palette of exterior paints.

Under the hood, the 2027 Maybach GLS 680 benefits from a new V8 engine, which is also available in the Mercedes-Benz GLS 580.

This means that the Maybach GLS is powered by a 4.0 L twin-turbocharged V8 engine that benefits from an enhanced 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

This makes for an increase in output of 53 horsepower and 89 lb-ft of torque, for a total of 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque.

In addition to this increase in output, the engine gained two new balance shafts in order to further reduce vibrations.

The Maybach GLS also receives a quicker steering ratio and cloud-based adaptive dampers that can prepare for known road imperfections that have been flagged by other Mercedes-Benz vehicles driving ahead.

Like the regular GLS, the 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 will be assembled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with production starting in time for the first models to reach their American buyers before the end of 2026.