A second-generation starter generator electrifies the M177 Evo unit, a first for the Maybach GLS line.
Mercedes-Benz premiered the 2027 Maybach GLS 680 on Sunday, July 20. Power is up 53 horsepower over the outgoing car. Pricing was not disclosed. The cabin got it too.
The reveal lands as ultra-luxury SUV volumes hold firm despite broader softness in the full-size segment. According to Mercedes-Benz's official product release, published July 2025, the GLS 680 sits above the $181,350 base price of the 2026 model — itself already $30,000 clear of the standard GLS 580. Bentley's Bentayga and Rolls-Royce's Cullinan are the realistic reference points in this sub-10,000-unit-per-year tier. Coverage of wider European premium segment expansion from the 2000s onward contextualises how this bracket was built.
Power, Torque, and What the Numbers Actually Mean
The M177 Evo twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 produces 603 horsepower and 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) of torque in GLS 680 tune. Against the outgoing unit: +53 hp, +89 lb-ft. That 89 lb-ft gain is a 12 percent torque increase — calculated as 89 ÷ 738 × 100 — applied across a platform that already weighed in at roughly 2,700 kg. A second-generation belt-integrated starter generator adds a supplementary electrical torque fill at low revs, a configuration Mercedes-Benz's engineering release describes as distinct from the 48-volt mild-hybrid unit used in the standard GLS 580. The transmission remains a nine-speed automatic. Airmatic air suspension is standard fitment; the optional E-Active Body Control system — which modulates individual spring and damper forces to counteract roll, pitch, and vertical lift — carries an additional cost not yet published by Stuttgart.
What the Product Sheet Confirms — and Omits
Mercedes-Benz's world-premiere product documentation, distributed July 20 2025, runs to eleven pages and specifies the audio configuration in detail: the Burmester 3D Surround System with Dolby Atmos now carries 15 speakers and a 710-watt amplifier, up from 13 speakers and an unspecified lower output in the pre-facelift car. The document confirms illuminated treatment for three exterior elements — the grille surround, the Maybach badge on the grille, and the standing three-pointed star on the bonnet — and states all three are firsts for the nameplate. Standard wheel diameter is 22 inches with a 20-hole design. The optional 23-inch forged wheel uses a precision ball-bearing mechanism to keep the central star logo vertical regardless of wheel rotation angle. What the documentation does not include: a kerb weight figure, a 0–100 km/h time, a fuel consumption rating under WLTP, or a European on-sale date beyond the phrase 'later this year.'
No Price, No Economy Figure — Unusual for a Production-Confirmed Model
Stuttgart disclosed neither a starting price nor a fuel economy rating at launch — an unusual gap for a vehicle confirmed for dealer delivery within calendar year 2025. The 2026 Maybach GLS carries a $181,350 US sticker including destination. A $3,650–$5,000 uplift would put the 2027 car at $185,000–$186,350, a range Motor1 cited as probable in its coverage of the same event. Mercedes offered no European pricing at all. The absence of a WLTP figure is harder to explain: the base GLS 580 4Matic returns 10.9 l/100 km under WLTP, and the heavier, more powerful Maybach version has historically been worse. Regulatory pressure is not easing — the European Commission's CO₂ fleet targets tighten further in 2025, a tension documented in coverage of U.S. truck tariffs and European IVA tightening. Daimler's silence on that number ahead of market launch is worth watching.
Where the GLS 680 Sits Against Its Actual Rivals
The Bentley Bentayga Speed starts at £216,900 in the United Kingdom and produces 626 hp from a 6.0-litre W12 — 23 hp more than the GLS 680 but from an engine with no electrification and considerably worse official economy. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge lists from £350,900 and produces 600 hp, making the Maybach the most powerful of the three at a considerably lower price. Lamborghini's Urus SE, at £250,000 and 800 hp, sits in a different performance bracket and targets a different buyer profile. The GLS 680's $181,350 predecessor sold in volumes Mercedes does not publicly segment, but analyst estimates cited by the ACEA's 2024 European ultra-luxury SUV market note placed combined Cullinan and Bentayga European registrations at under 4,000 units annually. McLaren's own SUV confirmation from summer 2025 suggests the segment ceiling has not yet been found.
What the Launch Means for Maybach as a Division
For Daimler's Maybach sub-brand, the GLS 680 update carries weight beyond a single model cycle. Björn Petersen, head of Mercedes-Maybach product communications, confirmed in Stuttgart's press materials that the GLS is the division's volume anchor globally, with China and the United States as its two largest markets. The S-Class-based Maybach sedan remains the nameplate's prestige flagship, but the SUV body style consistently outsells it on unit count. A 53 hp increase and a cabin revision with Rose Gold instrument dials, illuminated outer climate vents, and enhanced front-and-rear massage functionality are calibrated to hold existing Maybach customers through the GLS's extended lifecycle rather than conquest new ones. The consequence is felt most directly at the retailer level: without a price announcement, no German or US dealer network can yet position the car against incoming 2025-cycle Bentayga inventory. Deliveries are confirmed for 2025; configuration tools have not opened.
The Maybach nameplate was revived 2015 as a Mercedes sub-brand after its standalone relaunch between 2002 and 2012 failed to reach volume targets — the original second-generation Maybach 57 and 62 sedans sold fewer than 3,000 units globally across a decade. The GLS 680 is only the third model to wear the current badge. The complete Mercedes-Maybach model history and specifications are catalogued in the Global Auto Index manufacturer database.
