GLS 600 armoured INKAS

The Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is the brand's first SUV, unveiled at the Guangzhou Motor Show in November 2019 and assembled in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It uses the GLS X167 body but is designed for those who sit in the back: only two rows of seats, electrically reclining rear seats, and finishing entrusted to a dedicated Maybach workshop. It is not comparable to the AMG GLS 63; it occupies a different position.

The engine is the 4.0L V8 biturbo M177: 410 kW (557 hp) and 730 Nm from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm, supported by a 48V starter-alternator adding 16 kW (22 hp) and 250 Nm, for a combined total of 426 kW (579 hp). 9G-TRONIC gearbox, 4MATIC all-wheel drive, standard AIRMATIC air suspension, optional E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL, 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 s and 250 km/h in original specification.

The INKAS armouring meets CEN 1063 BR6 level: stops 7.62 x 51 NATO with lead core, 9.5 g at 830 m/s, three impacts. The cabin is protected on all 360 degrees, including doors, pillars, floor and roof, with multi-layer glazing respecting the original curvature, overlapping doors to protect joints, rear ballistic partition, tank under steel casing, battery and ECUs in armoured box, reinforced door hinges and stops, wheels with polycarbonate inserts. The body withstands two DM51 grenades detonating simultaneously under the floor.

The weight and performance values are those of the standard model and do not take into account the INKAS armouring, which significantly increases the vehicle's weight and reduces acceleration, speed and fuel economy.

In France, a civilian armoured vehicle of this type does not fall under military equipment: the section of article R. 311-2 of the French Internal Security Code that covers armoured vehicles requires a combat vehicle and the carrying of a weapon, both conditions together. Purchase, ownership and resale are unrestricted.

As for use, ballistic glazing is a glass-polycarbonate laminate: it ages from the edges, faster in hot climates, and a replacement pane is made to order, in weeks. The added weight is paid for in tyres and brakes, with run-flat armoured sizes remaining special order parts. A conversion carried out outside the manufacturer's production line is registered in France on the homologation documents for the conversion (Teilegutachten or ABE on the German side, otherwise individual approval).