Gl Class

Mercedes-Benz · on record 2006 to 2025

The Mercedes Benz Gl Class was the original name for Mercedes Benz's large 7 seat luxury SUV before the model was renamed GLS to align with the wider passenger car hierarchy. The Gl Class appealed to buyers wanting extra versatility and a higher seating position than a conventional family car. Later survival of the Gl Class reflects both continued usefulness and enthusiast interest, especially where towing, rural use or genuine 4 wheel drive still gives the vehicle a practical role.

DECLINING

Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.

2,901 licensed vehicles
2025 census

64.2% of the peak fleet remains licensed

783

declared SORN

total surviving

peak 4,516 in 2016 · −228 vehicles a year, five year trend

Population history

Licensed and SORN vehicles at each census. The filters below apply to the family population, MOT and registration figures. They do not alter the generation history above.

Licensed SORN Latest census observation SOURCE DVLA VEH0120 / VEH0220

At the average decline recorded over the latest five years, the licensed fleet would reach zero around 2037.

Illustrative projection only; vehicle populations rarely decline linearly. Late fleets typically flatten as surviving examples enter preservation.

Inside the surviving fleet

AutoCensus parses every DVLA variant description, so the fleet can be read by fuel and specification rather than as one number.

First registrations by year

When surviving examples first joined the British fleet.

New registrations

Vehicles first registered each year. A fleet still being sold shows here; a finished one shows only imports.

How this record was calculated

LATEST CENSUS2025

POPULATION SOURCEDVLA VEH0220 annual

HISTORY SOURCEDVLA VEH0120 GB · to 2013

FAMILY DEFINITIONMERCEDES GL CLASS

PROCESSED20 Sep 2026

Full methodology

Population history combines DVLA VEH0120 Q4 census observations through 2013 with the annual VEH0220 census from 2014 onward. Figures before 2014 cover Great Britain only. Historical VEH0120 is used only when its overlapping UK observations reconcile to the current canonical family definition. Vehicles are grouped into this family using the DVLA GenModel together with durable routing rules for known inconsistencies.

Variant figures are parsed from raw DVLA model descriptions and the original string is always retained. Configuration is only assigned where the model description explicitly identifies it; a blank configuration is not treated as a two door Wrangler. Blank transmission fields are shown as manual because DVLA records the field for automatic vehicles.

MOT figures count tests, not vehicles, and geographic figures count each vehicle at its most recent test location. The decline projection is a straight line fitted to the latest five years and is illustrative only.