Very few would argue the Mercedes-Benz GLS is deficient on luxury, notably when loaded up with premium leather, multi-contour seats, and sophisticated E-Active Body management air suspension. However, after all, there are some for whom “more” isn’t a choice but a given, for those varieties, there’s the ultimate HGLS by Hofele.
The GLS shown here belongs to the tuning company’s “Ultimate Series,” a distinction marked with premium two-tone paint and huge Hofele Mythos 22-inch wheels. In distinction to the tacky Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, the Hofele HGLS maintains the window trim, bumper covers, and grille treatments from the regular SUV, making it look – to our eyes at least – way much cleaner and less complicated. We would like it if the grille were a tad more special (and the huge Hofele badge within the center must get ditched, like, yesterday), however, overall, we just like the HGLS simply a shade more than the Maybach.
By any means, a luxury SUV lives and dies by what’s inside it. To compete with the GLS 600 (and other expensive high-riders), the Hofele GLS gets higher-quality Nappa leather, stitched and perforated in a gorgeous diamond pattern with computer-guided exactitude. Up high, Alcantara upholstery seems on the headliner and rear-seat neck pillows, with deep-pile lambswool floor mats down low.
Unlike the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, which is planned to arrive later this year as the 2021 model, the Hofele GLS can be had with any of the SUV lineup’s powertrain choices starting from the base European GLS 350d to the top-dog Mercedes-AMG GLS 63. Hofele selected the GLS 400d to point out off its final Series enhancements, providing a smart take on massive luxury. With a 326-horsepower (243-kilowatt), 516–pound-foot (700–newton-meter) turbodiesel inline-six displacing 2.9 liters, the Hofele ultimate HGLS should still move on pretty well, even without the GLS 600’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8.
Pricing for the ultimate HGLS by Hofele could be a little bit of a mystery, however, the company features a non-Ultimate GLS 350d available on its web site at a worth of 93,950 euro with VAT (about $104,000 at current exchange rates). That’s a price increase of solely about 8,000 euros compared to the standard GLS 350d, although we’re certain the ultimate will be a fair bit more expensive.
