Verdict
These two are close on the 2,999 cc petrol engine’s 362 hp and 500 Nm, but their briefs diverge sharply. The GLS is the practical choice for a Malaysian household needing seven seats, all-wheel drive and a 90-litre tank; its 355-litre boot edges the sedan by five litres. The S-Class is RM261,000 cheaper, reaches 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and adds a 28.6-kWh battery for 100 km of EV running. Its five-seat cabin instead puts the money into heated, ventilated and massaging rear chairs with an ottoman.
GLS
Pick the Mercedes-Benz GLS if you need seven seats, all-wheel drive, a 90-litre fuel tank and a head-up display.
S-Class
Pick the Mercedes-Benz S-Class if you want the lower purchase price, plug-in hybrid running and a far more lavish rear-seat experience.
Key differences
- Price: GLS RM999,888; S-Class RM738,888.
- Acceleration: GLS 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds; S-Class in 5.2 seconds.
- Powertrain: GLS has a 2,999 cc 362 hp/500 Nm petrol engine; S-Class adds a 147 hp/440 Nm motor to its 2,999 cc 362 hp/500 Nm petrol engine.
- Seating and boot space: GLS has 7 seats and 355 litres; S-Class has 5 seats and 350 litres.
- Fuel tank: GLS 90 litres; S-Class 67 litres.
- Wheels: GLS uses 22-inch alloys; S-Class uses 20-inch alloys.
GLS
- Seven-seat cabin with sliding second row and folding third row
- All-wheel drive and 90-litre fuel tank
- Head-up display and 355-litre boot
- Costs RM261,000 more
- Slower 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds versus 5.2 seconds
- No plug-in hybrid motor, battery or EV range
S-Class
- 28.6-kWh plug-in hybrid battery with 100 km EV range
- Faster 5.2-second 0-100 km/h time
- Heated, ventilated and massaging outer rear seats, plus left-side ottoman
- Five seats instead of seven
- Rear-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive
- Smaller 67-litre fuel tank
| Price & overview | ||
|---|---|---|
| Price | RM999,888 | RM738,888✓ |
| Body type | SUV | Sedan |
| Segment | Luxury | Luxury |
| Assembly | CBU | CKD |
| Ownership | ||
| Road tax / year | RM1,638✓ | RM2,128 |
| Powertrain | ||
| Engine Tech | 24-valve DOHC with direct fuel injection, twin turbochargers and variable valve timing | 24-valve DOHC with Electric Twin-scroll Turbocharger, Direct Injection and Variable Valve Timing and Lift |
| Capacity | 2,999 cc | 2,999 cc |
| Horsepower | 362 hp | 362 hp |
| Torque | 500 Nm | 500 Nm |
| Fuel | Petrol | Petrol Plug-in Hybrid |
| Bore | 83 mm | 83 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 10.5 | 10.5 |
| Number of Motors | — | 1 |
| Motor Horsepower | — | 147 hp |
| Motor Torque | — | 440 Nm |
| Battery Capacity | — | 28.6 kWh |
| EV Range | — | 100 km |
| Charging Rate (AC) | — | 11 kW |
| Charging Rate (DC) | — | 60 kW |
| Drivetrain | ||
| Transmission | Conventional Automatic | Conventional Automatic |
| Transmission Name | 9G-Tronic | 9G-TRONIC |
| Gears | 9 | 9 |
| Transmission Manufacturer | Mercedes-Benz | Mercedes-Benz (Daimler AG) |
| Driveline | All Wheel Drive | Rear Wheel Drive |
| Performance & Efficiency | ||
| 0-100 km/h | 6.1 seconds | 5.2 seconds✓ |
| Rated Economy | — | 1 L/100 km |
| Top Speed | 250 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Co2 | — | 22 g/km |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 5,207 mm | 5,289 mm |
| Width | 2,157 mm | 1,954 mm |
| Height | 1,823 mm | 1,503 mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,135 mm | 3,216 mm |
| Weight | 2,385 kg | 2,385 kg |
| Fuel Tank | 90 litres | 67 litres |
| Doors | 5 | 4 |
| Seats | 7 | 5 |
| Boot Space | 355 litres✓ | 350 litres |
| Front Tyre | 285/45R22 | 255/40R20 |
| Rear Tyre | 285/45R22 | 285/35R20 |
| Spare Tyre | — | N/A, Tyre Repair Kit |
| Factory Tyres | Continental PremiumContact 6 | Michelin Pilot Sport 4 ZP |
| Chassis | ||
| Assembly | United States (CBU) | Malaysia (CKD) |
| Front Suspension | Double Wishbones with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Rear Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension | Multi-Link with Air Suspension |
| Front Wheels | 22" AMG Multi-Spoke Light Alloy | 20" Twin 10-spoke Alloys |
| Rear Wheels | 22" AMG Multi-Spoke Light Alloy | 20" Twin 10-spoke Alloys |
| Steering | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) | Rack and Pinion (Electric Power Steering) |
| Chassis Notes | AIRMATIC with Adaptive Damping System (ADS PLUS) | Adaptive Dampers |
| Safety | ||
| Airbags | Driver and Passenger, Driver's Knee, Front Side, Front and Rear Curtain | Driver and Passenger, Driver Knee, Rear Passengers, Front and Rear Side, Front and Rear Curtain, Rear Left Cushion |
| ABS/EBD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stability Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alarm | ✓ | ✓ |
| Immobilizer | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airbag Disable Function | ✓ | ✓ |
| Child Safety Lock | Manual for Rear Doors | Manual for Rear Doors |
| Seat Belts | 7 Three-point | 5 Three-point with Illumination and Rear Belt Bags |
| Blind Spot Info System | ✓ | ✓ |
| ISOFIX | Available for Two Outer Rear Passenger Seats | Available for 2 Outer Rear Seats |
| Autonomous Braking System | Yes, PRE-SAFE Brake, Full Auto Brake | Yes, with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection (up to 130 km/h) and Evasive Steering Assist (up to 108 km/h) |
| Lane-keeping Assist | Steering Correction | Steering Correction |
| Collision Warning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Seatbelt Reminder | All Seats | All Seats |
| Safety Notes | — | Pre-Safe, Pre-Safe Impulse Side, Driver Attention Monitor with Eye Tracking |
| Lighting | ||
| Headlamps | Multibeam LED Projector | Adaptive LED Projector with Matrix High Beam (Digital Light with Projection Function) |
| Taillamps | Full LED | Full LED |
| LED Daytime Running Lights | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rear Foglamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wing Mirror Turn Indicators | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cabin | ||
| Front Seats | Power Adjustable Front Sports Seats with Memory Function and Adjustable Lumbar | Power Adjustable Front Seats with Memory, Heating and Massage Functions; Pillow Headrests; Passenger Seat Adjustment from Rear Seats |
| Rear Seats | 40:20:40 Split-Folding and Sliding 2nd Row, 50:50 Split-Folding 3rd Row | Power Adjustable Outer Rear Seats with Memory, Heating, Ventilation, Massage and One-touch Recline Functions; Folding Rear Pillow Headrests with Built-in Neck Warmers; Powered Ottoman and Leg Rest for Left Seat with Massage Function; Centre Load-through |
| Front Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control with Air Balance Perfume System and Ioniser |
| Rear Air-con | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control System | Dual-zone Automatic Climate Control |
| Sunroof | Panoramic, Front Tilt and Slide | Panoramic, Tilt and Slide |
| Power Sockets | 2 Front, 2 Middle Row, 2 Last Row, 1 Boot | 4 Front USB-C, 6 Rear USB-C |
| Interior Lighting | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) | Map Lights and Active Ambient Lights (64 Colours) |
| Cup Holders | 2 Front, 2 Middle Row, 2 Last Row | 2 Front, 2 Rear |
| Sun Shade | Powered Rear Door Window Shades | Double Sun Visors, Powered Rear Windscreen and Rear Door Window Sunshades |
| Audio | 12.3" MBUX, COMAND Controller, Touchpad, Burmester Sound System with 13 Speakers (590W) and rear seat individual entertainment system, including two 11.6-inch monitors with wireless headphones, rear center armrest control/USB/audio interface | 12.8" OLED Touchscreen Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Augmented Reality Navigation; 11" Rear Entertainment Displays; 7" Rear Android Tablet; 15-speaker Burmester 3D Surround Sound System (710 Watts) |
| Convenience | ||
| Power Windows | Four Windows, Auto Up & Down with Anti-pinch | Four Windows, Auto Up and Down with Anti-Pinch |
| Engine Start | Keyless Push Button | Keyless Push Button |
| Locks | Keyless Operation | Keyless Operation with Pop-out Door Handles |
| Auto Start/Stop | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Headlamps | ✓ | ✓ |
| Auto Wipers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cruise Control | Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist and Stop and Go | Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Stop and Go and Speed Limit Assist |
| Paddle Shift | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Audio Control | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Tilt | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steering Telescopic | ✓ | ✓ |
| Electric Steering Adjustment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Boot Operation | Powered Boot, with Contactless Operation | Powered with Contactless Operation |
| Parking Sensor Front | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Parking Sensor Rear | 6 Sensors | 6 Sensors |
| Reverse Camera | Yes, 360-degree View Monitor | Yes, with 360-degree Camera |
| Auto Parking | Yes, for Parallel and Perpendicular Parking | Yes, Parallel and Perpendicular |
| Folding Wing Mirrors | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bluetooth | ✓ | ✓ |
| Navigation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Head-up Display | ✓ | — |
| Power Door | Soft Close Function, All Doors | Soft Close Function, All Doors |
| Hill Start Assist | ✓ | ✓ |
| Instrument Cluster | Full LCD Monitor | Full LCD Monitor |
| Parking Brake | Electronic | Electronic |
| Convenience Notes | MBUX Interior Assistant, Qi Wireless Charger | MBUX Interior Assistant, Fingerprint Scanner, Front and Rear Qi Wireless Chargers, Rear Wireless Headsets |
| Warranty | ||
| Warranty Mileage Manufacturer | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Warranty Manufacturer | 4 years | 4 years |
| Warranty Notes | — | 8-year/160,000 km Battery Warranty |
Specs shown for the selected variant of each car. ✓ marks the better figure where lower/higher is objectively better. Road tax: West Malaysia, private registration.
Used GLS & S-Class for sale
GLS vs S-Class FAQ
Is the Mercedes-Benz GLS or Mercedes-Benz S-Class better?
The GLS is better for carrying seven people and for all-wheel-drive traction. The S-Class is the better chauffeur-oriented choice, with plug-in hybrid capability, a 5.2-second 0-100 km/h time and powered rear seats with heating, ventilation and massage.
What is the price difference?
The Mercedes-Benz GLS costs RM999,888, while the Mercedes-Benz S-Class costs RM738,888. The GLS is RM261,000 more expensive.
Which one is more practical for a large family?
The GLS is the clear family pick because it has seven seats, a sliding second row and folding third row. Its 355-litre boot is also slightly larger than the S-Class’ 350 litres, despite the S-Class being 82 mm longer.
