Audi Q8 vs Mercedes-Benz Gls450

What's the difference?

The Audi Q8 has had a mid-life upgrade and it brings a few minor tweaks to the design, technology and equipment.

Plug-in hybrids tend to rank a little lower on my excitement scale when it comes to available powertrains because I usually find the constant charging inconvenient.

However, the electric driving range of the 60 TSFIe quattro S Line grade has been bolstered by 27km, increasing it to 74km overall.

The ‘Upper Large SUV over $120K’ segment of the Aussie new-car market is what you might call the top end of town, not only in terms of the extravagant models available but also their purchase prices, which stretch well into six figures and require monthly lease payments that rival home mortgages.

It’s where you’ll find some of the most prestigious marques in the automotive world including Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Range Rover, Lexus and BMW. And, of course, Mercedes-Benz with its big GLS which represents the flagship of the German manufacturer’s SUV fleet.

It was given a refresh in 2023 with cosmetic and multimedia upgrades along with powertrain enhancements, but there have only been minor changes since then. We were recently entrusted with the keys to the latest GLS to see if the ‘S-Class of SUVs’ leaves any room for improvement.