The more videos I see the more I like it. The GLE is an improvement over the pre refresh car for sure, the GLS I am less convinced about.

However I would absolutely snag a great deal on a 2026 GLS. GLE I would want the refresh.

 

Since LED was brought to the conversation, I am aware of one type of LED that fails often on MBs, the door handle lights on the W213, W205 prior to 2021 model year, other than that I don't often see MB's LEDs failing. Sure I seen reports of ambient light strips failing.

 

Looks good. Modern. S-class suv..

 

Does anyone know the true full specs and technology available?

hands-free highway driving?
phone-as-key UWB?
Rear wheel steering?
Active roll stabilization for the 450?

in the end that’s all what matters if one can digest the design.

 

If done correctly, a cloud based suspension has potential. It all depends on the data though. My expectation would be that they compile all the suspension data from their vehicles and use the navigation to know what road/lane they were on to identify bumps, pot holes, road construction, etc.. then send that info back out to vehicles that haven't reached that particular part of the road in instructions on how to smooth out the imperfections. Most of the suspension technologies are reactive after they get info from the suspension and G sensors. Some systems also use the front cameras to identify things and make proactive decisions, but these would pale in comparison to a system that had access to mountains of suspension data to make decisions. That brings up two questions. Is Mercedes really doing this? Will it be a subscription service? Only time will tell.

 

So, do you all get cloud based notifications now on the GLS? I do on the S Class. I get notifications about potholes, slick surfaces and it shows me if another Mercedes has its hazard flashers on etc. I don't know if thats just an S Class thing or not. So if I run over a pothole, it drops a pin in the map and the next guy gets that notification. The potential for that technology is HUGE.

I also was in a funeral procession once and the family car up ahead behind the hearse was another W223 S Class, I could see its hazard flashers on my GPS map up ahead of me.

 

Not that I'm aware of, but mine is so Justin Timberlake in terms of the latest tech, with me being George W. Bush behind the wheel of caring about it! Ha!

What this sounds like, is a bit like what the Waze app does as well. A Waze user spots a police officer taking radar and easily marks it on the map for the others to see. Obstructions in the road, potholes, construction, traffic jam, etc. User inputs for others to see and confirm (or remove) once they get there too. Never had it before until the ford and CarPlay. Love it now, only nav I use.

Edit: Actually I take that back (sort of). I do recall early in our ownership of the GLS of being able to see other MB's in distress. I spotted something weird on the map one day and when I got to the spot, it was another MB on the side of the road with the hazards on (looked to be a flat tire). We would also get weather warnings and other "notifications", but the accuracy was so bad that we turned all of that off. Like, we would get emergency alerts for events down in Lorton while it sat in the garage 40 miles away in Leesburg.

 

Its kind of like Waze but Waze requires that you input the information. With the MBUX system it registers and inputs it for you. You can tag things manually also. Google Maps also has that same functionality as Waze.

When I hit a pothole or I have a wheel slip say in the snow I can see the car drop a pin on the map behind me, kind of like on MarioKart when you drop a banana peel lol

 

I’ve had it in all my bmws since 2018. It’s useless for comfort. Suspension systems are barely effective even with live data from the sensor. GPS and cloud based info won’t be able to precisely predict the exact spot where suspicious has to micro-adjust 5-10 times within seconds. Cloud based info is only good to predict curves, ups and downs, and road characteristics. It’s not that great. BMW also uses Road-Preview live data from the front cameras and scanners. Much more effective. Mbenz is just adopting (again) 8-10 years old tech. It had benefits but it is not what we need really. Something like E-ABC would actually ignore all the clould based data cause it can scan the road even more precisely location wide and account for micro-imperfections in the road.

Personally am more interested to know if the new GLS will offer hands-free highway driving, phone-as-key, as well as E-ABC for the 450 trim.

 

There was another thread where this "tech" was debated: I mentioned how I kept getting notified by my car about hazards up ahead and had no idea what it was despite Mercedes nav not actively navigating and the symbol on my map was a simple yellow diamond with an exclamation point. I'm sure this is already cloud-based so the reaction of the suspension based on this info that's already being collected is logical. I'm sure I'm already paying for this in my subscription service as it is.

 

This post was specific to the GLE but should also apply to the GLS since they're just about the same. It does confirm the digital key function and has some notes on E-ABC as well.

https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...ml#post9277254

 

Great news about phone-as-key. Nowadays I would not even consider a car without it, no matter what. However, I don’t see anything about the hands-free highway driving which is a big disappointment given that the X7 had it since 2023 now.

 

It says very clearly the car will have point to point self driving.

 

No rear steer. Hands free highway driving with point to point self driving. There is a new adaptive cloud suspension technology in addition to the standard airmatic similar to active roll stabilization. Phone as key will be coming also.

 

In China.

In the US that "will be available at a later date", so who knows if later date is in 6 months or 3 years....

 

It will come as soon as they have clearance to offer it.

 

Yes, and to @S_W222's point, BMW already has Highway Assist working in the US.

 

I wouldn't assume the highway assist won't come at launch, the point to point self driving is a different story.

 

I've seen a few s classes with the huge cameras on the car around L.A. I'm guessing they're still testing the point to point self driving.

 

BMW's Highway Assist is Level 2.

The point to point you guys are talking about is Level 3 and that is only being tested in certain markets like CA. For the rest of the US, Mercedes upcoming tech is considered Level 2++ I think.

 

Point to point is still not level 3. Level 3 requires no attention, even Tesla FSD is not Level 3.

Highway assistant is like Super Cruise or BlueCruise.

 

The issue is that I do not trust Mbenz on the tech side for anything unless it’s already available and functional. That (later date) thing is a huge risk. I actually remember (and you can still find them) in 2014 for the W222 S-class Mbenz showing videos of that car doing hands-free driving. We haven’t seen anything since then. Probably once they dial it in 100% they might realize they need a different hardware (BMW had this issue with the X7 in 2023 but at least they never took the risk and said “coming at later date”, and for 2024 X7 they just formally released it but with a new hardware). Some early 2023 runs, even though a facelift, never got it via OTA cause the hardware wasn’t good enough, but at least it was never promised.

As for Leve 2 or 3, I think the levels actually do not matter. All I care about is how “good” the system actually is, regardless of what the paperwork or the formal certifications. Hyundai for example, I am in a brand-new rental now and I think it is a 2026, has an unbelievable hands-free system. It does not have any ranking or level certification. For BWM, it is actually already level-3, but it only has the cerrtificaiton in Germany. it is the same exact hardware and system for cars in the US, and I can tell by driving it it is even better than Tesla on highway, but they are only claiming (or applied) to the Level 2 or 2+ in the US. Functionality wise, it drives the same exact way as in my test-drives in Germany for the Level-3 since 2024 on the 7-series for example. The only difference is that the car will let you take off your hand completely off but will ask you to pay attention to the road if you get distracted for too long (in the US), wherein in Germany it doesn’t care if you watch a movie while your hand is off (same car, same hardware, same accuracy). So far I have tried them all, and the only companies that have a flawless highway hands-free are BMW and Tesla. Hyundai is close. Ford/Lincoln/GM are fine but not as good as BMW or Tesla’s system.

Back to Mbenz, I just want hands-free driving regardless of the claimed level, as long as it does it really well or at least the hardware earned that ranking in Europe where the regulations are much more modern.

Phone as key is also a “later date” type of feature? Are you sure? That would be a true joke if true!!!!

 

Hyundai does have excellent lane centering on the highway

 

So does Mercedes, as long as you use Active Steering Assist. NOT Active Lane Keeping Assist.

 

Similar to, but not as complete as, Mercedes "Route Based Navigation."

BMW Highway only works on highways, while MB works everywhere. It will take you from anywhere to any destination - steering, exits, slowing for corners and exits.
You still have to touch the wheel unless you have Drive Pilot.