The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 is Mercedes’ newest flagship SUV, revealed July 21, 2026 as a heavily updated version of the Maybach GLS. Most coverage will lead with the 450-kilowatt engine or the wheel badge that never tips over. But according to Mercedes’ own press materials, the single most requested option among Maybach buyers in 2026 wasn’t mechanical at all. It was a strip of headliner leather, hand-stitched by one craftsperson from 20 individual pieces.
Here’s everything confirmed so far, answered directly.
What Engine and Horsepower Does the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 Have?
The GLS 680 uses a new electrified V8, badged M177 EVO, paired with a second-generation 48-volt starter generator. Combined output is 450 kilowatts (about 603 hp) plus a 17-kilowatt boost (roughly 23 more hp), with 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) of torque, output Mercedes compares directly to its own twelve-cylinder engine. Two newly added balance shafts smooth the power delivery, and a revised, more direct steering ratio sharpens response without disturbing ride comfort.leo.
When Will the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 Be Available?
The GLS 680 can already be ordered in China. Order books open in the US and Europe by the end of July 2026, with additional markets to follow. Mercedes has not confirmed exact delivery timing for US customers beyond that order-book window.
How Much Does the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 Cost?
Mercedes has not released pricing for the GLS 680. The outgoing GLS 600 started near $180,000 in the US, so expect the 680 to land at or above that range once pricing is confirmed. Any specific number circulating right now is an estimate, not an official figure.
Where Is the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 Built?
The GLS 680 is built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the same Mercedes plant that has produced large SUVs for nearly three decades and over five million vehicles since the original M-Class in 1997. Maybach still finishes each vehicle by hand afterward. A two-person team trained in Germany at the Mercedes-Maybach MANUFAKTUR pulls every unit out of the standard line to complete the model-specific interior before it goes back for final approval.
What Makes the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 Wheels Special?
The optional 23-inch forged wheels carry a center-mounted Mercedes star that stays perfectly upright no matter how fast the wheel spins, held level by a gravity-driven ball-bearing mechanism built into the hub. A new standard 22-inch wheel in the familiar 20-hole design is available for buyers who’d rather skip the showpiece.
Does the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 Have Self-Driving Features?
Yes. MB.DRIVE ASSIST PRO adds urban point-to-point assisted driving, an SAE Level 2 system that can handle navigation through dense city traffic at the press of a single button. It launches in China first, with US availability scheduled later in 2026. The driver is required to stay engaged and supervise the system at all times.
What’s New Inside the 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680?
The cabin gets a three-screen MBUX Superscreen under one piece of glass, plus a generative-AI Virtual Assistant that appears on-screen as a small rose-gold star and holds conversations built on a mix of ChatGPT, Gemini, and Bing search. Rear passengers get their own displays, individually configurable remotes, and built-in cameras for video calls. Front seats add a new vibration massage in the cushions, and the rear Executive Seats now massage the calves for the first time in a GLS. Between them sits a small refrigerated compartment sized for two 0.75-liter champagne bottles. Cabin air fully replaces roughly every 90 seconds through an electric filter, and the Burmester sound system grows to 15 speakers on a 710-watt amplifier. Buyers can also choose a new solid dark petrol non-metallic, a MANUFAKTUR patagonia red metallic, a two-tone dark petrol over verde silver, or an entirely different Night Series trim built around dark chrome and black pearl Nappa leather.
How Does the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 680 Compare to the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan?
Mercedes hasn’t priced the GLS 680 yet, so a direct dollar-for-dollar comparison isn’t possible today. What’s clear from the press materials is the positioning. Maybach is leaning on hand craftsmanship, the hand-stitched roof liner, the two-person interior finishing team, the same way Bentley and Rolls-Royce lean on their own in-house ateliers, rather than competing purely on horsepower or badge prestige.
None of this is really about beating a Bentayga or a Cullinan on a spec sheet. What Maybach is actually selling is the same thing Rolls-Royce sells through Project Nightingale and Range Rover sells through its British Summertime Collection: proof that someone still hand-stitches the parts no customer will ever inspect closely, purely because they could.
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