Mercedes-Benz GLS Refresh
Following the recent announcement of the Mercedes-Benz GLA and GLB facelift, the German luxury manufacturer has just revealed a similar move for the larger GLS family of models.
The grille has a much more upright presence and houses four horizontal louvres galvanized in a Silver Shadow finish. Air intake grilles are carved right into the front bumper itself, and underneath is a redesigned simulated under guard. At the back, the taillights now feature three distinct LED pod lamps and the lower diffuser/exhaust surround is all one matching black colour. Inside, Macara beige and Bahia brown leather seat options have been added, along with a Brown Linden Glossy Wood Trim.
Joining the new standard GLS will be a sporty Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 4MATIC as well as the range-topping Mercedes-Maybach GLS.
2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
Boasting a whole host of extra equipment, Subaru is calling the Crosstrek Wilderness the “most rugged and trail-capable Crosstrek ever.”
Aside from the tougher unique bumpers and grille and hexagonal LED foglights, the vehicle wears chunky fender arch cladding and a metal front skid plate to protect the important bits. Up top there’s a ladder-type roof rack, rated to hold 176 pounds of dynamic load and 700 pounds static load, perfectly capable of mounting a tent system. Two exclusive paint choices are available: Geyser Blue and Alpine Green. Inside, all-weather upholstery ensures surfaces are easy to keep clean.
Upgrades to the suspension give the Crosstrek a 15-millimetre bump to ground clearance over the regular version, for a total of 235 millimetres. The shock absorbers possess longer travel strokes, and the 17-inch alloys are shod in Yokohama GEOLANDAR all-terrain tires ready to tackle mud, gravel or snow. Finally, X-MODE allows drivers to choose various pre-sets to tailor engine, transmission and all-wheel drive behaviour towards various slippery environments.
Genesis GV80 Coupe Concept
Debuting at Genesis House New York ahead of the New York International Auto Show, the GV80 Coupe Concept draws inspiration from the X Speedium shown at last year’s event combining elements from an SUV and sports car.
The signature quad lighting and crest grille elements are worked into the most aggressive bumper design seen yet by the brand comprised mostly of mesh and glossy black details. The roof is made out of lightweight carbon fibre, and multiple rear spoilers are present to maximize downforce at speed. The dark five-spoke forged aluminum wheels provide a nice contrast against the searing Magma orange paint.
Cabin-side, the performance aspect is equally emphasized with a three-spoke steering wheel, carbon fibre trim and orange-piped plaid Nappa leather seats. The front pair are buckets to give maximum support while cornering, and the G-Matrix X strut brace installed behind ups the structural stiffness of the vehicle and just looks plain cool.
2024 Jeep Wrangler
Slated for a mid-cycle refresh is the 2024 Jeep Wrangler, and the brand is very much applying an “if it ain’t broke…” approach to aesthetic changes. There definitely are enhancements elsewhere though — read on.
Adopting a slimmer, blacked-out version of the iconic seven-slot grille is not only for style points but helps accommodate the optional Warn winch on Rubicon models. Underneath the bodywork a new Dana 44 HD Full Float solid rear axle, a setup usually found on commercial trucks, increases towing capacity to 5,000 pounds and as a bonus permits the fitting of larger wheels and tires.
The interior boasts a long list of updates, one of the more notable being the introduction of the latest Uconnect 5 infotainment system and its 12.3-inch display — the largest ever introduced in the Wrangler. The instrument panel is hand-wrapped, and certain higher grades receive a special package adding acoustic front glass, thicker carpet and sound deadening to produce a quieter ride.