GMC Yukon vs Mercedes-Benz GLS

No longer the exclusive truck-only brand for General Motors now that Buick has gone all-in on SUVs, GMC nevertheless holds a unique position in the automaker's product portfolio. Offering a lineup of "Professional Grade" trucks and SUVs with premium features, enhanced capabilities, and unique exterior and interior designs, GMC toes the line between Chevrolet and Cadillac.

All-new for the 2021 model year, the Yukon full-size SUV gets a standard 12-inch driver information centre and enhanced connectivity for 2022, among other changes. The 2022 GMC Yukon is available in four trim levels: SLE, SLT, AT4, and Denali.

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.