Other engine options for the GLS include the 333-hp twin-turbo gasoline V6 (GLS 350) and the 4.7L twin-turbo V8 of the GLS500 (GLS550 in Canadian nomenclature). This offering makes a much stronger 455 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, and was easily capable of zipping by lines of slow-moving traffic as though the GLS’s mass was irrelevant.

And yes, you can buy an AMG version if you’re a little deranged. The GLS 63 gets a 585-hp twin-turbo 5.5L V8, and while it wasn’t available for drives on this particular program, has got to be slightly unhinged.

However, the diesel’s the one to get, offering as it does good response and excellent fuel economy. Again, the GLS particularly impressed as the road got curvier and more technical, with body roll motions well composed. We’re not talking maximum speed cornering here, we’re talking a smoothness and subtlety that let my passenger drift off in the passenger seat for a good half-hour.

The new nine-speed auto is very well paired with the diesel, shifting quickly to mine prodigious torque and keep the noise levels down. The GLS hurtled on through the night, just as it would do with a family on board, headed for the cabin and a weekend away with all but the driver dozing off.

So sure, they’ll likely make an ultra-luxe Mercedes-Maybach version to go up against that awful Bentley Bentayga, and no, the GLS can’t touch the X5 for high-speed hijinks. It doesn’t matter: in the segment, this is the seven-seater that carries the most sense as a luxe-oriented family hauler. The woolly mammoth didn’t adapt, and it went extinct; consider the GLS evolved enough to thrive.

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