Review: Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS (2019-on)

Overview

Released in Australia in December 2019, the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS was a seven seat four-wheel drive wagon. Manufactured in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the all-wheel drive X167 GLS range for Australia consisted of GLS 450 and GLS 400d models (see table below). To reduce fuel consumption, both engines for the X167 GLS had an ‘ECO start/stop’ function which enabled them to shut down when the vehicle was stationary in traffic.

X167 GLS 450: EQ Boost

The Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS 450 featured Mercedes’ ‘EQ Boost’ system which used a 48 volt onboard network and a belt-driven starter/alternator to provide the following functions:

• When accelerating, EQ Boost could assist the engine with an additional 16 kW until the turbocharger accumulated full charge pressure;
• The EQ Boost function would also assist the engine to reach its ideal operating speed as quickly as possible during gearshifts to reduce shift times;
• During deceleration, the starter/alternator would recuperate kinetic energy and charges the battery;
• The water pump was electrically driven and actuated by a characteristic map to adapt cooling output according to need; and,
• Below a certain speed, a ‘glide mode’ would decouple the engine from the drivetrain to avoid engine braking and the engine would switch off to reduce fuel consumption.

4MATIC all-wheel drive system

The 4MATIC all-wheel drive system for the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS 450 and GLS 400d used an electronically-controlled multi-disc clutch. According to Mercedes-Benz, this Torque on Demand (TonD) system allowed a variable transfer of drive torque from 0-100 per cent between the axles.

Available as an extra-cost option, the Off-Road Engineering Package ($3500 at launch) included underbody protection and a transfer case that was configured for off-road driving. In addition to the multi-disc clutch, this transfer case had a reduction gear set and an automatic locking effect from 0-100 per cent for off-road driving. The driver could select Off-Road driving modes that were configured for different surfaces.

Towing capacity

The Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS 450 and GLS 400d had standard braked towing capacities of 3500 kg. The optional Towbar Package ($1900 at launch) added towbar fitment and trailer stabilisation which could detect sway at speeds above 65 km/h and brake individual wheels to reduce its effects.

Body and dimensions

The X167 GLS was underpinned by Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Modular High Architecture’ (MHA) which was shared with the Mercedes-Benz V167 GLE . Compared to the Mercedes-Benz X166 GLS which it replaced, the X167 GLS is 77 mm longer (at 5214 mm), 22 mm wider (2006 mm), 27 mm lower (1823 mm) and has a 60 mm longer wheelbase (3135 mm). The X167 GLS 450 and GLS 400 d had unladen weights of 2656 kg and 2724 kg, respectively.

Inside the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS, the second row seats were designed for people up to 2.00 metres tall and could be folded flat. Furthermore, the third row seats were designed for people up to 1.94 metres tall and could be lowered into the floor to increase boot space (up to 2400 litres).

AustralianCar.Reviews understands that aerodynamic measures for the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS-Class included:

• A radiator grille shutter for needs-based metering of airflow (‘Airpanel’);
• Wheel spoilers with mouldings ahead of the front wheels;
• Optimised door mirrors;
• Wheel spoilers in front of the rear wheels;
• Spoiler lips for the tail-lights;
• Underbody and propshaft tunnel panelling, flush fuel tank cladding, cladding on the rear axle and an optimised diffuser lining; and,
• Aerodynamically designed wheels.

As such, the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS had a drag co-efficient of 0.32 Cd.

Suspension

The Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS had double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear suspension. Fitted as standard, however, the X167 GLS had three-chamber height adjustable air suspension (Mercedes-Benz’s ‘AIRMATIC’) and electronically control dampers (‘Adaptive Damping System Plus’).

Available as an extra-cost option for the X167 GLS 450, Mercedes-Benz’s ‘E-Active Body Control’ combined:

• ‘Road Surface Scan’ which used on-board cameras to identify imperfections in the road surface and adjust suspension damping at each individual wheel; and,
• A curve-tilting function (‘Curve’) so that the vehicle could lean into bends by shifting the base point of each individual suspension strut.

Steering

The Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS had rack-and-pinion steering with electric power assistance.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS included dual front airbags, seat-mounted airbags for front and second row occupants, full-length curtain airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

For Australian deliveries, the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS was equipped with the following active safety technologies as standard –

• Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function: could mitigate the consequences of collisions with vehicles or pedestrians in front of the vehicle. If a collision risk was detected, the system initially issued a visual warning. If there was a serious risk of collision, the driver received an additional, audible warning and the required brake pressure to prevent a collision was calculated (if possible) so that it could be applied when the driver depressed the brake pedal. If the driver failed to respond, however, Active Brake Assist initiated autonomous emergency braking to mitigate or prevent the collision. For the X167 GLS, a ‘turning-off function’ operated if there was a danger of a collision with oncoming traffic when exiting (‘turning-off’) a carriageway, so that the vehicle could be braked at speeds typical of such manoeuvres;
• Active Distance Assist Distronic: operating at speeds up to 210 km/h, the system could maintain a pre-set distance to the vehicle ahead. A stop-and-go function also enabled the vehicle to be braked until stationary, remain stationary for up to 30 seconds and then accelerate when the traffic ahead started moving. Active Distance Assist Distronic also combined navigation data with camera/radar inputs to adjust speed when approaching bends, junctions or roundabouts;
• Active Steering Assist: helped the driver keep the vehicle in the centre of its lane by applying steering wheel torque. Active Steering Assist used the lane markings for orientation at speeds up to 210 km/h and, at speeds up to 130 km/h, also used the position of vehicles ahead. For the X167 GLS, Active Steering Assist introduced a new feature to assist the driver in forming a rescue lane on multilane roads. Specifically, the vehicle would be guided to the edge of the lane it currently occupies. When a queue of stationary or slow-moving traffic was detected on motorways at speeds below 60 km/h, off-centre guidance of the vehicle was assisted;
• Evasive Steering Assist: supported the driver in taking evasive action when pedestrians were detected in front of the vehicle and the driver initiated such action. The system would apply additional steering torque in the direction the driver was performing an evasive manoeuvre to help the driver evade the pedestrian in a controlled manner and then to ‘stabilise’ the vehicle;
• Active Lane Change Assist: operating at speeds from 80 km/h to 180 km/h, Active Lane Change Assist could perform lane changes – within 10 seconds – in response to the driver nudging the indicator stalk;
• Active Lane Keeping Assist: could detect when the adjacent lane was occupied (including oncoming traffic) and prevent the driver from inadvertently exiting from the lane when it was not safe to do so by applying a corrective braking force to the wheels on one side of the vehicle;
• Active Blind Spot Assist: active at speeds above 60 km/h, a corrective braking force would be applied to the wheels on one side of the vehicle if the driver attempted to change lanes when a vehicle was detected in the driver’s blind spot;
• Exit Warning Assist: could issue a visual warning in the door mirror when the vehicle was stationary and up to three minutes after the ignition had been turned off to warn of an approaching vehicle or bicycle (providing it was exceeding 2 m/s). If the driver used the door handle at this moment, an additional acoustic warning would be issued;
• Active Emergency Stop Assist: if it was detected that the driver was no longer actively driving the vehicle while it was moving, Active Emergency Stop Assist would bring the vehicle to rest within its lane. If there was no steering wheel movement over a longer period when Active Steering Assist (see below) was active, the system issued visual and audible prompts for the driver to place their hands on the steering wheel. If the driver failed to respond, vehicle speed was reduced until it was stationary. At speeds below 60 km/h, following traffic was warned by the hazard warning lamps;
• Attention Assist with drowsiness detection: operated at speeds in excess of 80 km/h and assessed driver behaviour (including steering movements) for signs of drowsiness. If detected, the driver would be provided with visual and audible warnings;
• Traffic Sign Assist: used navigation data and image recognition to display – in the instrument cluster – the maximum permitted speed, restrictions on overtaking and pedestrian warnings near ‘zebra’ crossings. Traffic Sign Assist also had an extended wrong-way warning, while the detection of stop signs was been combined with the ECO start/stop function so that the engine would remain on. Active Speed Limit Assist was a sub-function of Traffic Sign Assist that used the forward-facing camera to recognise sign gantries and road works signs to set the vehicle’s maximum speed; and,
• Pre-Safe Plus: used the rear radar sensors to detect if a rear-end collision was imminent and, if so, flashed the rear hazard lights and prepared occupant protection measures such as the seatbelt tensioners. If the vehicle was stationary and the risk of a collision persisted, the system could apply the vehicle’s brakes to reduce the risk of injuries by reducing the forward jolt caused by an impact from the rear.

Features: Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS

The infotainment system for the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS featured the ‘MBUX’ driver interface which consisted of a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch display for the instrument cluster, a Burmester surround sound system with a 590 watt amplifier and thirteen speakers, digital radio tuner (DAB+), satellite navigation, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, voice control (‘Linguatronic’), smartphone integration (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), wireless mobile phone charging.

Standard features for the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS included multi-contour front seats with heating and ventilation, power adjustable seats, leather upholstery, four-zone climate control air conditioning (‘Thermotronic’), dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a head-up display (resolution of 720 x 240 pixels), front and rear parking sensors, a 360 degree camera system, 60: 40 split second row seats with adjustable 40:20:40 split backrests, leather-wrapped steering wheel with gearshift paddles, remote central locking, power adjustable and heated door mirrors with folding function, power windows, a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, an electric park brake, illuminated vanity mirrors, velour floor mats, a 12 volt power socket (load area), aluminium roof rails, a power-operated tailgate which could be operated by foot motions beneath the rear bumper (‘Easy-Pack Tailgate’), a trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser.

As standard, the Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS was equipped with Multibeam LED headlamps which featured:

• 112 LEDs in each headlamp;
• Four control units which calculated the ideal lighting using information from the forward-facing camera to avoid dazzling other drivers (‘Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus’) and from the navigation system – this included swivelling the light beams into bends (‘Active Lighting System’); and,
• An ‘Ultra Range’ high beam that produced a brightness above 1 lux over a distance of more than 650 metres. At speeds above 40 km/h and when there was no other traffic, the ‘Ultra Range’ high beams were automatically switched on.

As standard, the X167 GLS was fitted with Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Active Parking Assist’ system which could identify suitable parallel parking spaces – when traveling at speeds of up to 36 km/h – and autonomously steer the vehicle as the driver reversed towards the parking space.

Carwash function

The Mercedes-Benz X167 GLS introduced a ‘Carwash’ function which, when selected:

• moved the suspension to the highest position – due to the axle geometry, this reduced front and rear track widths to make it easier to enter the carwash and remove dirt remaining in the wheel arches;
• folded the door mirrors;
• closed the side windows and sliding sunroof;
• suppressed the rain sensing wipers;
• switched the climate control air conditioning to recirculation mode;
• after eight seconds, activated the 360 degree camera’s front image to assist the driver when driving into the carwash; and,
• deactivated these ‘Carwash’ settings when the driver exited the carwash and accelerated to a speed above 20 km/h.