Given the overall preference of Indian consumers, not to mention the ever increasing fuel prices in the country, the one body & engine combination which hasn’t really been pursued by manufacturers has been that of a large SUV coupled with a powerful, but thirsty, petrol engine. Sure, Porsche has managed to sell small numbers of the Cayenne petrol before the diesel was introduced, but, apart from that, the vast majority of sales in that segment have all been vehicles with diesel engines.



So, it came as a surprise that, after the introduction of their GL in its diesel form, which has been posting decent sales numbers in its class, Mercedes India decided to introduce the GL500 powered by its 5.5 litre V8 engine producing 388bhp and 530Nm of torque. Evidently, according to company officials, given the just-about-adequate performance of the GL in its diesel form, there was a demand from the consumers for a more powerful variant – and one would assume that demand was strong enough to convince Mercedes to bring in a vehicle and engine combo that hasn’t traditionally done well in our market. And this is especially the case when the price of petrol is at an all-time high in the country. But, what we must bear in mind is that if you’re reading this with the view to decide whether you should actually put down `80 lakhs-plus on a petrol powered SUV, then you’re likely in a position to afford the fuel bill comfortably as well.



However, there are definite improvements to the GL as a product with the big V8 in place, as the bigger engine allows the admittedly huge GL to post respectable performance numbers – with 100km/h coming up in a mere 6.5 seconds, which, for a vehicle of this size, is pleasantly surprising. The petrol engine, and the increase in power, equips the GL with much stronger off-the-line acceleration and eagerness to rev compared to the diesel – making the car feel much more sprightly and light on its feet (pun unintended). Plus, the muted V8 burble emitted from the engine and exhaust is a nice aural accompaniment to every journey.

The interiors in the 500 too get a slight upgrade, as they come loaded with more equipment in the form of even more gadgets and toys to play around with. But, it’s the abundance of space in the GL that makes it the best car in our market to travel in if you intend on sharing the experience with 6 of your favourite people. The GL’s rivals simply lack the space to qualify as proper 7/8 seaters, especially if the intention is to travel long distances – in which case the extra space in the GL is a Godsend. Especially if you take into account the role that the adjustable air suspension plays, which, with the ‘Comfort’ mode selected, results in an extremely soft and comfortable ride even over our poor quality roads. Sure, the enthusiasts amongst us will abhor the soft suspension, and its resulting exaggerated body-roll. But then, when travelling with a large posse of people, the priority is on comfort – which is available in spades. And the GL500 isn’t exactly lacking in speed either.

The drawback with the GL500 though remains the same as with its diesel powered sibling – the sheer size of the machine makes it simply too large for most of our city streets. And while the size is needed to provide adequate room inside for passengers to travel in comfort, at the same time it ensures that the GL is more suited towards intercity travel rather than every day intra-city use.

If, however, you need a vehicle with three proper rows of seating, and you can afford to travel in supreme comfort combined with proper performance – the GL is the only machine that fits the bill.