Mercedes-Maybach has pulled the sheet off its refreshed GLS 680, and the headline number is hard to ignore: 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque from a reworked twin-turbo V8, up 53 hp and 89 lb-ft over the outgoing model. The ultra-luxury SUV arrives at U.S. dealerships later this year carrying enough new hardware to justify a second look — and enough theater to make sure everyone else looks twice, too.
The most conspicuous change sits right up front. The redesigned Maybach grille now features an illuminated surround and, for the first time on this model, a subtly lit MAYBACH name embedded within it. The standing three-pointed star on the hood can glow now, too, if you tick the option box.
It’s a move that will either thrill or horrify depending on your tolerance for illuminated badges, but it tracks perfectly with where the segment is headed. Rolls-Royce has been backlighting its Spirit of Ecstasy for years.
Under the skin, the M177 Evo V8 picks up a pair of Lanchester balance shafts — a detail that sounds minor but speaks volumes about Maybach’s obsession with isolating occupants from mechanical reality. A second-generation 48-volt mild-hybrid starter-generator adds 23 hp of electric boost, handles coasting and recuperation, and smooths out the start-stop function. The steering ratio has been tightened for quicker response, a tacit admission that even a three-ton luxury barge needs to feel composed when the road gets interesting.
The optional E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL system reads the road 1,000 times per second and can lean the body into corners by up to three degrees, cutting lateral forces on passengers. It’s the kind of technology that turns physics into a concierge service.
Inside, the refresh deepens the cocoon. A 710-watt Burmester 3D surround system with Dolby Atmos now pushes sound through 15 speakers, up from 13. The front seats gain vibration massage in the cushions, while the rear Executive Seats extend massage to the calf rests for the first time.
A new electric cabin air filter ionizes fine dust particles and cycles the interior air roughly every 90 seconds. Additional insulation in the transmission tunnel, engine bulkhead, and engine cover further suppresses noise intrusion.
The MBUX Superscreen gets Maybach-specific graphics — Rose Gold instrument dials, a gold Maybach crest — and the system now runs on MB.OS with a virtual assistant. Over-the-air updates keep the software current, and a forthcoming “CITY PRO” feature promises semi-autonomous point-to-point driving in dense urban traffic, though Mercedes is vague on timing.
Personalization remains the quiet profit engine. Mercedes says nearly every Maybach sold globally carries at least one MANUFAKTUR option, and the most popular in 2026 is the hand-stitched leather headliner, assembled from up to 20 precisely cut sections by a single craftsperson who signs their work. New interior colors include Beech Brown over Macchiato Beige Nappa leather, and the exterior palette adds a two-tone Dark Petrol over Verde Silver Metallic.
Then there are the 23-inch forged wheels with a ball-bearing mechanism that keeps the center-cap Mercedes star perfectly upright at all times, like a gyroscope for people who notice everything. It is a completely unnecessary piece of engineering executed with total conviction — which is, if you think about it, the entire Maybach proposition distilled into a single wheel cap.
The electric running boards still deploy in under a second when a door opens, projecting a Maybach pattern onto the ground at night. Mercedes calls it “a quiet ceremony of arrival.” At this price point, ceremony is the product.
No pricing has been announced. But if you have to ask, the illuminated hood star probably isn’t for you.
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