Mercedes is renewing its focus on bigger, more luxurious cars and reducing the number of more affordable vehicles it offers. And that change in strategy plays right into the hands of Benz’s biggest SUV, the three-row GLS, spotted testing here in AMG 63 guise. These latest spy shots mean we’ve now seen prototypes of the standard GLS, hot AMG version and range-topping Maybach variant being put through their paces. The stock GLS made it debut almost exactly four years ago with the Maybach and AMG derivatives arriving seven months later, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see the facelifted SUVs’ rollout follow a similar path.

There are likely to be even fewer surprises when it comes to what’s changed for this mid-life update. And in the case of the AMG version, that will be viewed as a good thing by many enthusiasts. While the small AMG C63 S sedan has swapped its twin-turbo V8 for a four-cylinder PHEV and the next E63 is rumored to be downsizing to a PHEV inline six, both of those car are new from the ground up. Which leads us to think that a facelifted GLS63 will get to hang on to its V8.

 

The twin-turbo 4.0-liter motor is rated at 603 hp in the current SUV, plus 850 Nm, and that’s before you’ve factored in the additional 250 Nm available from the accompanying mild-hybrid system. Zero to 97 km/h takes 4.1 seconds, which isn’t too shabby for something that’s not far off 2,722 kg unladen. Spy photographer didn’t grab any shots of the seven-seat interior on this occasion, but he claims that Mercedes has reconfigured the dashboard to deliver a more modern-looking infotainment system running the latest MBUX software, and has also tweaked other details like the steering wheel design.

If that’s true it sounds like the interior changes, though not earth-shattering, will be more significant than the ones Mercedes-AMG has planned for the exterior. The placement of the disguise on this test vehicle tells us that the light signature in the rear lights is different, and the camouflage on the front end suggests there are changes to the front bumper too, though having compared these pictures with some of the old car we’re struggling to see what’s new. The headlights are also likely to get a refresh, but these lights look the same as the ones fitted to the current European-spec cars, and the lack of disguise suggests there’s nothing new to see just yet.