2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS vs 2022 Volkswagen Atlas

Until 2018, Volkswagen seemingly ignored the fact that North America wanted roomy, functional SUVs. But that year, a right-sized Tiguan arrived ready to challenge the leaders in the compact SUV class and the family-sized Atlas went on sale to wage war in the three-row SUV segment. Both addressed criticism that Volkswagen was out of touch by going above and beyond with regard to passenger comfort, cargo space, and utility.

Now, five years later, the 2022 Volkswagen Atlas is essentially unchanged following a substantial refresh for the 2021 model year. And though the 2022 Atlas remains a study in contrast, it is easy to understand why people buy it. Sometimes, size does matter.

The SUV that’s now known as the GLS was launched for the 2007 model year as the GL-Class, when Mercedes decided it needed a bigger, more luxurious SUV to sit above the M-Class in its lineup. The GL-Class and M-Class were rebadged the Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class and GLE-Class, respectively, in 2014 when Mercedes introduced a new naming scheme across its lineup.

The current version of the GLS was introduced for the 2020 model year, and represents the model’s third generation. It’s aimed at other full-size luxury SUVs, including the BMW X7, Cadillac Escalade, Infiniti QX80, Land Rover Range Rover, Lincoln Navigator, and Lexus LX.

Four models are available in Canada: the base six-cylinder GLS 450 4Matic, the GLS 580 4Matic, the AMG GLS 63 4Matic+, and the Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4Matic. Availability is currently limited, and specifications for the 2022 model year are not available. However, they are expected to be very close to those listed for 2021, which were used as reference for the information provided here. We tested a U.S.-specification 2022 GLS 450 for this review.