Don鈥檛 let the new name fool you. The Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class is a mild update, not a full redesign, of the second-generation GL-Class that began with the 2013 model year. The name is simply a result of Mercedes鈥?nomenclature overhaul. Compare the two SUVs here. TheMercedes-Benz GLS-Class comes with a V-6 (GLS450) or V-8 (GLS550) engine, both turbocharged. There鈥檚 also a GLS350d with a turbo-diesel V-6, but, as of this writing, it鈥檚 awaiting EPA clearance amid heightened scrutiny over all things diesel. All-wheel drive and seating for seven are standard; you can compare trim levels here. In a nutshell, the GLS-Class is a GL-Class with new headlights and grille inserts. Mercedes-Benz revised a handful of other areas, too 鈥?the bumper openings, some lower cladding and (just barely) the taillights 鈥?but those changes are even slighter. This is hardly an overhaul, and given the GL-Class鈥?crowd-pleasing styling, it didn鈥檛 need to be. 95,000 starting price is also a lot meaner on your wallet.

Editors disagreed on the power from our Mercedes-Benz GLS450鈥檚 turbocharged V-6: Some found it quick, or at least quick enough, but I deemed it only adequate; most of the engine鈥檚 reserves were needed merely to pass slower traffic. At higher speeds, the nine-speed automatic transmission resists downshifts until your right foot is halfway to the floor. One editor found accelerator response immediate, but I observed outright lag off the line. At least I found it consistent, so drivers can plan for it, and there鈥檚 a Sport mode that quickens transmission response. But those are silver linings on a sluggish cloud. The doldrums translate to the rest of the driving experience, too. The steering wheel turns with smooth, consistent feedback, but the slow ratio, skittish tires and prodigious body roll will diminish any handling fun. Ride quality with the standard air suspension is soft but truck-like, with a creaky suspension and floaty, uncontrolled body motions over major bumps. Dump a wheel in a pothole and the GLS450 suffers lingering reverberations afterward.

It鈥檚 no G-Class, but there鈥檚 a lot left to be desired. The brakes are equally truck-like, with an inch or so of pedal travel before anything happens. The Mercedes-Benz GLS550鈥檚 brakes have larger discs 鈥?probably necessary, as its turbo V-8 makes considerably more power than the 450 (449 horsepower versus 362, and more lb-ft of torque). Adaptive shock absorbers and active stabilizer bars are also optional. If you plan any serious off-road driving, Mercedes offers an optional two-speed transfer case, locking center differential and front skid plate. Fuel economy for the GLS450 is an EPA-estimated 19/17/22 mpg combined/city/highway. The GLS550 has a fuel economy rating of 16/14/18 mpg, while fuel economy for the GLS350d is unavailable at this time. The three-row Mercedes-Benz GLS gets high marks for practicality, but it鈥檚 hit-and-miss on the luxury front - which is typically S-Class territory. Visibility is excellent thanks to tall windows and head restraints that nest into the seven-passenger seats in the second and third rows to clear up the view out back. The second row is a three-position bench (you can鈥檛 get separate captain鈥檚 chairs) that reclines but doesn鈥檛 slide forward and back.

Our test car鈥檚 optional power-tumbling chairs made third-row access a cinch: One button nests the head restraint, tumbles the seat and even powers the front chairs forward if there isn鈥檛 enough clearance. Both the second and third rows have adult-friendly space. The third row treats passengers to a high seating position, big windows and padded armrests. Many second rows don鈥檛 have it this good. Stitched, low-gloss materials adorn the upper dashboard and can optionally extend to the doors and lower dash. Below all the eye candy, though, the doors regress to a sea of lower-rent plastics 鈥?the sort you won鈥檛 find in an Infiniti QX80 鈥?or, for that matter, the far cheaper Volvo XC90. The climate control knobs still employ a rickety, yesteryear design, and the center console has patches of dull, cheap plastic. The seats come standard with Mercedes鈥?MB-Tex vinyl, an upholstery whose vinyl-ness is obvious at this price. Fitted with optional Apple CarPlay (Android Auto isn鈥檛 available), the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class sorely needs a touchscreen.

No tapping, pinching or swiping the optional 8-inch dash display; all the action with that screen happens through a rotary knob and touchpad on the center console, and it鈥檚 terrible. You can press down on the console touchpad to make a selection, but you can鈥檛 zoom or scroll around CarPlay鈥檚 Apple-sourced navigation system or even change menu selections. Doing any of that requires you to spin the knob to move the screen cursor to different selections and pick something. It鈥檚 time to move on from this, Mercedes, especially now that you鈥檙e attempting to support the touchscreen-oriented CarPlay. Fortunately, the GLS has a good factory navigation option with sharp graphics and plenty of street labels. The three-tiered menu structure will be familiar if you own another Mercedes, but there鈥檚 a steep learning curve for the uninitiated. Two USB ports, HD radio and Bluetooth phone and audio streaming are standard. The controller-and-touchpad combo described above is optional; without it, the GLS has a simpler knob, no touchpad and a 7-inch multimedia screen. A Harman Kardon premium stereo is also optional, as is a considerably pricier Bang & Olufsen system.