Best Luxury SUVs in India

India is slowly becoming a market for SUVs, By shifting from hatchbacks to SUVs. Almost all the automakers are introducing their SUVs to India. But you will be surprised to know, That the largest range of SUVs in India is offered by, Mercedes Benz. Recently when we went for a drive to GLB, We saw the array of SUVs from Mercedes Benz. And that was the realization point. That the biggest portfolio of SUVs is Mercedes Benz. Now, why are we making this article?

In this article, we are introducing you to all those SUVs, And give clarity on which SUV is suitable for you. Now, before getting into any details, Let’s crack the basic nomenclature. The name of all the SUVs of Mercedes starts with GL.GLA, GLB, GLC, So what exactly GL stands for?

GL stands for Gelandewagen. So in modern-day terminology,

It is called an SUV. And what are the letters A, B, and C? So those represent their sedan version. So the GLA is an SUV version of the A class. The GLC is an SUV version of the C class. And that is their complete nomenclature. So what are we waiting for?

Let’s start with the first one. The very first SUV is the GLA. This can be your first Mercedes. A perfect car for personal use. Now if you drive yourself, Inside the city, with your friends, Or go on long trips on weekends, I think this is clearly the best choice for you. If someone’s really young at heart, Or someone wants something sporty, Then this is a suitable choice. Also in terms of quality, Technology, And even luxury. Also, thanks to its compact size, You can drive it effortlessly inside the city, And also can easily park it in tight lanes.

The car is available with both petrol and diesel engines, And both the engines come with 8 years of warranty. It is even loaded with features. The touchscreen system is connected to the instrument cluster And feels like one big piece of screen. It gets ambient lighting, Electric seat adjustment for driver and co-driver seats with memory function, A massive panoramic sunroof, an Electrically opening tailgate, MBUX, which is the voice command system of the Mercedes, And you can activate many features by saying ‘Hey Mercedes’ It also gets multiple driving modes with off-road functions. The car is no less on quality and technology, And it has all the qualities of a Mercedes. But if you want something more sporty and a lot more performance, We have a solution for you.

Presenting you the GLA 35 AMG. It gets bigger and wider tires,

Sportier exhaust, 2.0-liter twin-stroke petrol engine producing 306 bhp of power and 400 NM of torque, And for better traction, it gets 4Matic. It also comes with 5 AMG driving modes to choose from And gets many other features as well. It gets Burmester speakers,

Sporty interiors, Sport seat upholstery, And everything you see inside the car is a lot sporty, It gets Multibeam LED headlamps, And the list is pretty long.

Next is the GLB. It is not only the latest But is also the most practical offering in the entire luxury car space. So if you want a comfortable 7 seater SUV in luxury car space, This is the only and the best choice in the entire category, Or else you will have to upgrade to a flagship size SUV, Which will definitely cost a lot more.

Now, the GLB is not just a practical and spacious SUV But even commands a good road presence. Some may even call it mini or baby GLS, And that is because if you look at its front, The headlamps, The front grille styling, Or even the styling of the rear,

Appears similar to the GLS. And also it has a sort of boxy design in its overall stance, Especially its side profile, You will love its road presence.

The GLB has a long list of features. It comes with 7 Airbags as standard, Traction control & ESP, Big size touchscreen system that connects to a digital instrument cluster, A massive sunroof, an Electric tailgate, MBUX, which is the voice command system of the Mercedes Benz, And at the same time, it also gets off-road engineering package, But only with 4 Matic.

It gets 8 years of warranty on the engine and the transmission. Now many people say electricity is the future, But in reality, electricity is the present. Mercedes Benz has realized this fact, And so along with the GLB, They have introduced the EQB. EQB is India’s first and only 7-seater electric SUV And offers similar practicality to the GLB. So overall it is a spacious and comfortable SUV.

The SUV gets 8 years and 1,60,000 km of warranty on the electric motor and the battery. It gets Burmester speakers, A large size touchscreen system that connects to the digital instrument cluster,

You also get Multibeam LED headlamps, And the list is pretty much similar to the GLB. It even gets 7 Airbags as standard, ESP & traction control, and an Electric tailgate, And in both cars, the second-row seats can be slid front and back by 140mm, Plus second-row seats can be folded down in 40-20-40 format, Giving you extra flexibility if you have to carry more luggage.

The next SUV in the lineup is, The GLC. It has been one of my favorite SUVs, And I just love its overall styling. Overall looks good on the outside, And even gets so many features on the inside. Plus if you are interested in the GLC Coupe, So it’s more of a Sportback. Features and everything else are very much similar, The only differentiation is the styling with a Sportback look from the rear, Making it more sporty. Also, Mercedes has said that by the second half of 2023, They will launch the new generation of GLC.

And honestly, I can’t wait for it as it looks absolutely gorgeous. But if you want added performance with the style, I will recommend you only one SUV. And it is the AMG GLC 43 4Matic Coupe. It gets a sloping roofline making it pretty stylish, And the power pack performance of AMG. So you get the best of both worlds.

When you look at it from the front you will notice the A SHAPE, And the AMG front grille. At the rear, you get a diffuser, And a bigger and louder exhaust system, Which clearly says it is an AMG original SUV. The sporty bits are not only on the exteriors, But get that on the inside too. Here you get black and red color interiors that look young, You get sporty seats, an AMG performance steering wheel, And if you step inside an AMG, You definitely get the more powerful engine So it gets 3.0-liter V6 Bi-Turbo engine, That produces 390 BHP of power and 520 NM of torque.

And once you push the accelerator pedal, It’s going to be absolutely quick. Along with that, it gets AMG Ride Control +Suspension, Through which you can change the suspension setup.

It gets AMG Dynamic Select Function in which you can choose from the multiple driving modes, You can make your exhaust louder with just a touch of a button. You get a parking package with a 360-degree camera, Electrically adjustable seats with memory function, And 4-way lumbar support that adds even more comfort. Then you also get ambient lighting with 64 colors, Multibeam LED headlamps that make night driving really easy, And Mercedes Me Connect.

You also get a Burmester surround system, And MBUX with ‘Hey Mercedes’ which is a new way of controlling a lot more things just through voice command. So this was the AMG GLC 43 4Matic Coupe. Now, what’s more? Alright, so next in line is the EQC.

This became the first luxury electric SUV in the Indian market. They started their journey of electric cars in 2020, And since then there has been no stopping. The EQC is based on the platform of GLC,

But they have purposely differentiated its styling. So overall the design looks pretty futuristic, And it has not really much resemblance to the GLC.

Now, Mercedes has introduced many electric cars, We already spoke about the EQB, And there's also the EQS and EQS AMG as well. What’s next in the line? The GLE. I call it a Luxury Executive Class SUV. So whenever I look at this SUV, It motivates me to be a lot more persistent. And it is for super ambitious people, Who want to drive themselves and even want to enjoy a chauffeur driven, As it gets a long wheelbase version as well. So be at the front or at the rear, There are no compromises on comfort.

The interiors feel luxurious and premium, And now let us step inside and check what all features are available for you. The list of features is very long. Very first, it comes with the latest and most powerful, 4-cylinder diesel engine. It produces 245 BHP of power and 500 NM of torque, And it is paired with the 9-speed 9G-Tronic transmission. It also has Active Brake Assist.

And as it comes with LWB you can sit comfortably even at the rear.

It also gets a rear comfort package, And you can even fold the second-row seats electrically. It gets a 360-degree camera, It gets 4-zone climate control that Mercedes calls Thermotronic, Plus at the front, you will notice two big size screens. One is the touchscreen system and the other is the digital instrument cluster.

It gets 64 colors for ambient lighting, And it gets MBUX which is the voice command system of the Mercedes Benz. So you can say ‘Hey Mercedes’ and give a voice command to activate any feature. Also, if you want something extra with the list of features, I have something special for you.

If you want something sporty and stylish, There is always the AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe. It offers more performance, Attractive design, and Sporty interiors, It’s highly capable to go off-road, And of course, it gets the driving dynamics of an AMG. So this car is for those who want the best of both worlds. Wants more performance without any compromise And at the same time no compromise on comfort as well. A perfect family SUV.

Now for more sportiness, it has a shorter wheelbase, You will not get the long wheelbase version, But what you will get is the super powerful 3.0-litre Inline 6 Cylinder Turbo Petrol Engine. It gets the features of GLE and a lot more things. It gets 21-inch AMG alloy wheels, AMG Performance Steering Wheel in Nappa leather, Burmester surround sound system with 13 speakers, a Heads-up display, Multibeam LED headlamps, and AMG dynamic select which are the AMG driving modes, Blind spot assist package, You also get 4-way lumbar support to add extra comfort And energizing seat kinetics. So these all are the extra features making it the complete GLE family.

If you need more performance then this is the clear choice for you.

Up next is the Mercedes Benz GLS. We call it the Ultimate Luxury SUV in the world. Hardly any other SUV can give a better experience to your family. Now if you are chauffeur driven, You will experience sublime luxury, And best-in-class comfort and safety. And even if you yourself drive the car and go for a road trip, Then, in that case, you will experience comfortable seats for your entire family, And at the same time, the experience is unmatched. The interiors are aesthetically designed.

What you will notice is that 7 people can sit comfortably without any problem. It is very spacious and people can sit comfortably in all three rows. And getting in and out of the third row is also quite easy.

It gets sun blinds for the rear passengers, You also get the rear comfort package plus, And specifically, if you are a chauffeur driven then rear comfort becomes an important factor.

While you also get a chauffeur package. This means if you want to adjust the co-driver seat, You can just do that without moving from your seat. It has a wireless charging pad for rear passengers And 5-zone climate control. So 2 at the front, 2 in the second row, And 1 in the last row. You also get MBUX which is the voice command system of Mercedes Benz, Through which you can say ‘Hey Mercedes’ and get any function activated. The rear passengers get a 7-inch removable tablet. You also get luxury head restraints which are extremely comfortable.

It even gets an Airmatic package which is the suspension pack. So depending on the speed of your car, the amount of load inside the car, And what conditions it is running in, The car adjusts the suspension setup to provide the best ride quality. Also, you get a parking package for such a huge car that has 360 camera visibility. Now if you yourself drive the car, You will notice it gets a big size touchscreen that actually is connected to a digital instrument cluster.

And overall it feels like a full theatre effect, And what compliments it is the Burmester surround sound system. They are basically a set of 13 speakers that sounds amazing. Are you still not satisfied? I have something more for you. So here we are in the GLS Maybach. This is the most luxurious and most powerful SUV. And you can clearly call it the best SUV in the world. The Maybach has been a pinnacle of luxury cars. And it cannot be bolder than this.

If you want to make a bold statement, This is the clear SUV for you. And so if you notice, The celebrities take their GLS Maybach wherever they travel. So the overall styling or the front Maybach grille, You will notice the big Mercedes logo on the bonnet, And the alloy wheels are very catchy and a big head-turner for everybody. Now next time if you go out driving yourself or sit behind for a lavish road trip, Or for your next shoot if you're a celebrity, Or maybe for your next board meeting, You will create a brilliant impression.

The overall styling and road presence are excellent. Talking about the features, the list is pretty long. The first thing I will cover is the Maybach suspension. One is the normal car suspension And then comes the Maybach suspension. Driver over the bad roads, The jerks will just not filter inside the cabin. Then you will actually feel you are flying first class with these individual seats.

They offer ventilation, Heating, and Massage, And you can even recline the seats. And in fact, you can even adjust the front seats with just a touch of a button. You get a retractable running board for getting in and out. For better performance, you get a 4.0-liter V8 petrol engine, Producing 557 bhp of power and 730 NM of torque. It even gets an air balance package which actually makes your ride very comfortable.

Then you also get the rear entertainment package which has a long list of features. But what I would highlight here is the Burmester 3D surround sound system. Hardly any other car might offer you such high-quality audio output, And I feel these are the best speakers I have ever heard in a car. For better convenience and comfort you get an acoustic and comfort package, Which makes the cabin very silent. You also get a driving assistance package and when you drive the car that is when it comes in very handy. And you can also add extra features through the customization of different packages. The next in line is the OG off-roader, The G Class. And we have with us the G 350 D.

It is an indestructible SUV And listen to the normal door thud. It’s an absolutely amazing and evergreen SUV which is also a highly capable off-roader. You can literally take it anywhere and in any kind of terrain, You want to maneuver around, drive, and Take it on a tilt up to 35 degrees and the SUV stays very stable. If you want to go up a hill you can climb at 45 degrees very easily. You can take this to places where you will not even think of getting in any other off-roader.

It gets 3 differential locks, And the car was first built 40 years ago, And over a period of time, it has evolved with new technology and luxury features. The car has become so luxurious that even if you go on the worst terrains, You will enjoy that comfortably. Also, hardly any other SUV commands road presence like the G Wagon. And it is an evergreen SUV. It’s not like people are liking it now,

For years, whenever people look at it on roads people will turn and say, What was that! So that is the phenomenon this SUV has. And even after 40-50 years from now, This design will be a head-turner. Talking about the features, It has Multibeam LED headlamps, AMG performance steering wheel in Nappa leather, Glass sliding sunroof, Mercedes I connect, Burmester surround system, Ambient lighting, 3 Zone climate control, And also get 9 airbags too.

Now I would say it is an extensive range of SUVs from one automaker for a country, And I feel you have the option of choosing from any type of SUV. So big thanks to Mercedes Benz for not only offering these SUVs to Indian buyers But even making them available for the shoot which was very extensive.