francotse

Just came back from dealership... Be told that the changes for 2015 GL will be as following:

1. move Keyless-GO from individual option into P1 package.

2. No glass roof for third row if you choose panorama roof. (why? I don't like this change)

3. 3.0L V6 will replace 4.8L V8 engine, still the same HP and Torque. (Does anyone has any idea about the estimate gas mileage?)

4. Three SPC will move to regular add-on

5. ECO button will be available through all gas model except GL350 BT (Does this really help saving the gas?)

6. No more 6 discs system.

7. 3 years free update service for NAVI included.


Do I miss anything? Feel free to add what you know... Thanks.


There are two options for me right now. Either 2014 GL350BT (June slot)or 2015 GL450 V6 with ECO button(might be Aug or Sep). What would your suggest?

Ah_gl450

1. This is well over-due!
2. That's weird, I don't understand why they wouldn't keep it?
3. The old V8 was a 4.6L, I think this should be a great replacement
4. Do we know which SPC?
5. Does this mean it has the start-stop system now?
6. Don't really use it now.
7. Any color changes?

I'd say go for 2015...

ymmv

If you're ordering with any of these changes, you'd want to confirm exactly what's what by call MBUSA (the dealership is no authority and has been consistently wrong in my experience over the last 4+ years.)
If you're ordering the 360 cameras, I'd certainly wait, in the hope that they'll fix the low light performance problem.
In my observation of other vehicles, going to a forced induction V6 is "worth" maybe 1-2mpg over an equivalent -- high efficiency -- V8, and maybe 4 mpg if the old V8 was a guzzler. Stop-start is worth about 1mpg. Cylinder deactivation is about 1mpg (not that MB seems to be offering this functionality.)
If you want mpg, get the diesel. Really, unless you really just gotta have the gas, there's no downside to the diesel other than the price of the add-blue diesel emissions fluid, which I bought from elsewhere and the dealership had no problem with me showing up for a 10K mile service with the DEF tank already filled.

cookstar

the start stop system will be on all gas GL models starting 2015, my dealer told me this during the 4th quarter of 2012 (something to do with regulations). 6 disk system useless. Not sure why the 3rd row sunroof will be removed? unless they are stretching the pano roof across all three rows now?

PkB2014

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I prefer the V8 and I'm glad I'm getting a 2014 GL 450 next week. For one, it's vastly de-tuned and once the warranty runs out, or if my dealer seems cool with it, I'll be throwing a ECU tune on it for 500hp+ and 550tq+ and it'll feel like a new car again(I hope) and should be able to pull anything I will have (boat, trailer, Rock of Gibraltar, etc.) with no problems. I wonder how much performance room is left in the new V6. If I couldn't get the V8, then I'd probably prefer the diesel V6 over the petrol V6 for the torque and MPG. I don't really have an opinion on all the other changes, though the start/stop function would be nice.

mist68

As you say, if it is a turbo V6 you would select the Blue tec-for certain, MB has a strategy to drive owners to better mpg vehicles so they can still market their S Class with V-8's and make incremental monies on the AMG variants-to do that they need more people in the higher mpg diesels and they realize people will make the choice you just stated if they only offer the V6 alternative.

Wonder what they will do with the 550. Mine celebrated its 2.5 week birthday today.

cookstar

v6 is a turbo set up, you can do an ECU tune like with the 450 to get more power. Even on a CLA45 you can do a ECU tune to get more power, and thats a turbo 4. I dont see Mercedes drastically changing the turbo engines anytime soon as fuel economy and power gains can be done via software rather than hardware like in the past. just look at the GL550, people are getting higher hp and torque numbers than a GL63 with a tune that costs peanuts.

Dalema

^^^+1 - except for the diesel.

Just wouldn't buy the V6. GL450 with V8 that could be tuned was a great value proposition - quite clear why they would take that away.

UAG1

the v6 turbo from Mercedes is ruling the F1 now!

LeicaMan

yup!

blittle

A 6 is not an 8…..yes, I know, profound! But my point is …. after having had 3 GL450's with the 8 AND, if they are keeping the size and the weight of the vehicle the same for 15, then a 6 is NOT going to sound like an 8 or feel like the 8. The 6 may still perform but it WILL have to work harder to do everything the 8 already does. And….. I already get 21mpg on trips with my 450 V8…..good enough considering what it is! Someone said it earlier……this is a move to push some to buying the diesel , which in turn improves their corporate mileage figures , which in turn allows them to sell the AMG stuff. Ill be sticking with my 13GL for quite a while.

JimBarnhart

I'm thinking about a 2014 GL450, or a GL550 (2014 or 2015, prefer 2014 to get the full panoramic roof) to eliminate my warranty risk of 10% biodiesel laws in Minnesota.

cookstar

I think the next gen GL will lose a couple hundred pounds and move towards aluminium like the Range Rover HSE, until than don't expect any weight drop.

max90034

I thought for a minute about canceling my 4/26 GL450 build and waiting for 2015 but now I am glad I am getting GL in a few weeks.

It would be nice to save $200-300 per year on gas (I expect ~10k miles per year) but my concerns are about:
1) performance, I liked how effortless GL accelerated at the test drive (or may be it just does not feel right to me to have 3L V6 in 5500 lb GL and 5L V8 in my 3700 lb Lexus IS-F)
2) reliability, this seems to be a new engine (or at least very new tune) and I trust more to V8 that MB has in half of their lineup for several years.

LonghornDXB

The new 3.0L V6 is something I tried to find out information on, but not much is available yet.

Based on google searches, it looks like this engine has been used on the "GL400" in Russia/China/Caribbean for a few months.
Some sites mention the 0-60 time as 6.9sec and the mpg as 28 which I find hard to believe.
The most similar engine/hp/weight combo to the 2015 GL450 offering is probably the Q7's 333hp supercharged V6, which has a ~7 0-60 time but a 20/22 highway mpg

blittle

Agree!!

max90034

Russian sites list gl400 as available since 11/2013 with the following specs:
3.0 turbo engine: 333 hp / 480 Nm (this is torque in metric units, current US specs V8 gl450 is 550 Nm )
0-100 km/h: 6.7 sec

LonghornDXB

I have seen similar stuff in Chinese and Asian sites as well but of course can not make out a lot of what they say.

The only thing consistent in all the sites is the 333 hp bit.

I have seen conflicting information on the 0-60 time and the mpg.
One Jamaican dealer quotes it as 28, but I am skeptical.

baldmike73

here are the 3 SPC

On/Off Road Package

ACTIVE CURVE System

Soft Close Doors