2026 BMW X7 vs. 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLS: Big Luxury Buses Compared

• What's new: The Mercedes-Benz GLS has been updated with new styling and improved tech for 2027.
• Why it matters: It goes head-to-head with the BMW X7, which offers impressive driving dynamics and a posh cabin.
• Edmunds says: Both have their strengths, but we compare the specs to help you sort which one's best for you.

Interior

Although the Mercedes-Benz GLS scores new exterior styling, engine revisions and new tech for 2027, we don't expect the cabin dimensions to change much, if at all. With that in mind, the X7 will likely continue to offer front passengers more head and shoulder room than the GLS but a bit less legroom.

It's a different story for second-row occupants, though, as the GLS offers significantly more legroom as well as slightly more head and shoulder room. Both SUVs offer seating for seven and can comfortably accommodate actual adults in the third row, but taller passengers in the X7 may notice that there's a little less headroom back there due to the SUV's sloping roofline.

Technology and safety features

The 2026 BMW X7 is outfitted with a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen display that are housed together in one piece of curved glass. BMW's iDrive 8.5 operating system runs the show and offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, but it lacks the physical controls found in the GLS for things like the exterior lights and climate controls. Thanks to its easier-to-use interior, the GLS gets the nod here.

The X7 also comes with a range of safety and driver assistance tech as part of the Active Driving Assistant package, which is equipped as standard regardless of what model you choose. This suite of features includes forward collision mitigation, blind-spot detection, lane keeping assistance, and real-time speed limit information. The available Driving Assistance Professional package also allows for hands-free highway driving at up to 85 mph. 

As good as the X7's technology is, the 2027 GLS greatly benefits from a raft of tech updates that are arguably even more impressive. Like many recent Mercedes-Benz models, the GLS seeks to shock and awe with displays that span nearly the entire width of the dashboard. 

Dubbed the Superscreen, the system houses three individual 12.3-inch displays — one for the digital gauge cluster, another for the infotainment system, and a third for the front passenger. If you really love screens in your cars, this is the one to have. 

Every 2027 GLS is equipped with 10 exterior cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and up to five radar sensors. Beyond the requisite blind-spot warning, lane keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control functions, this tech also allows the GLS to be outfitted with Mercedes' MB.Drive Assist Pro Level 2++ system. 

The optional system offers point-to-point self-driving very little driver intervention — if any — but you do have to keep your hands on the steering wheel when you use it. MB.Drive Parking Assist, Mercedes' self-parking system, comes as standard and reportedly does its job about 60% quicker than before.

Trims and pricing

BMW offers the X7 in two trims, both of which feature all-wheel drive. The six-cylinder X7 xDrive40i is the cheaper of the two with a starting price of $89,050. Standard features include 21-inch wheels with all-season tires, air suspension, vegan leather upholstery, and the aforementioned digital gauge cluster and infotainment displays in a curved glass housing. Stepping up to the X7 M60i will cost you $116,550 before you start adding options, but that kind of coin gets you V8 power, 22-inch wheels wrapped in high-performance summer tires, M Sport brakes with blue calipers, Merino leather upholstery, and a Harman Kardon audio as standard, among other upgrades. 

Mercedes-Benz hasn't announced official pricing for the 2027 Mercedes-Benz GLS yet, but we know it will be offered in two all-wheel-drive trims. The six-cylinder GLS 450 is expected to start around $95,000, which is a few thousand more than the outgoing model, while the GLS 580 will likely come in near $120,000. Both will go on sale later this year.