Mercedes-Benz GLS

Mercedes-Benz has been watching Bentley, Range Rover and Rolls-Royce take up the ultra-luxury SUV mantle. Now, it's time for a German-badged entry into the segment. Mercedes has teased the next Mercedes-Maybach model, a posher, plusher version of the GLS the company is calling “the new face of ultimate luxury”. It’s set to debut this month, not at the Los Angeles motor show but instead at the Guangzhou motor show on 21 November.

Mercedes has unveiled its most luxurious SUV yet. The new generation Mercedes GLS is larger in every dimension than its predecessor (length +77 mm, width +22 mm, wheelbase +60mm) to create a more spacious cabin – and crammed it with technology. All three rows of seats have electric adjustment and there are two giant 11.6-inch touchscreens for second-row passengers. There’s also an optional 7-inch Android tablet that stows in its own docking station in the second row arm rest.

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the upcoming Maybach version of the new-generation GLS SUV will be built at its Alabama facility in the US. Speaking with industry journal Automotive News, Mercedes-Benz USA CEO, Dietmar Exler, confirmed the news, describing the upcoming SUV flagship as a "halo car". "The Maybach brand "stands for luxury," he told the publication, "It will help build the Mercedes brand, no question."

The upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLS will offer a more advanced take on the brand's current Magic Body Control, according to reports from Europe. According to an interview with chief Maybach engineer, Jurgen Weissinger, in Autocar, the range-topping seven-seater will rely on a new camera system for "better information from rough roads, so that drivers can slide over the road."

Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall 3333 vehicles across its 2015 and 2015 GL, GLE and GLS SUVs over concerns the power steering system could fail. The German manufacturer reports that moisture may penetrate the electric power steering control unit, interfering with signal transmission. If the condition occurs, the power steering assistance could fail, which poses a hazard to the driver and could increase the risk of an accident.