August 24, 2026

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AFTER-HOURS LUXURY

The Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 Night Edition is proof that even the automotive equivalent of a private member's club occasionally fancies staying out late. The standard GLS has always been formal, all chrome, ceremony and upright good manners; this limited-run version loosens the dress code. Alpine Grey or Obsidian Black paint is paired with a darkened exterior treatment, turning that enormous grille from jewellery into intimidation. On something this large, black trim can look like a tuning-shop afterthought, but here it has the opposite effect, visually tightening the car and lending its generous proportions a more tailored severity. It is still unmistakably a GLS, a three-row flagship that occupies road space with the confidence of diplomatic property, only now it appears to have plans after dinner.There is nothing nocturnal about the way the GLS 450 moves. Its 3-litre turbocharged straight-six produces 386PS and 500Nm, sent through a nine-speed automatic, with mildhybrid assistance filling the pause before the engine gathers itself. Mercedes-Benz claims 0­100kmph in 6.1 seconds, an indecently brisk figure for something resembling a wellappointed townhouse. The appeal, however, is not in repeatedly launching it from traffic lights. The engine is at its best delivering one long, silken swell of acceleration, accompanied by a cultured growl that never raises its voice enough to disturb the upholstery. The air suspension largely insulates the cabin from India's more creative road surfaces, although sharp edges can remind you that vast wheels remain vast wheels. Ask it to attack a bend and the body takes a moment to collect itself; settle into its rhythm, though, and grip and composure are impressive. This is less sports car impersonation than first-class travel conducted at suspicious speed.Inside, the Night Edition earns its name more convincingly. Black Nappa leather and Anthracite open-pore oak replace the usual drawing-room brightness with something moodier, while the standard head-up display adds useful theatre without demanding attention. The cabin remains the real argument for the GLS: broad, beautifully finished and sufficiently spacious for adults across the first two rows, with a third row best reserved for shorter journeys. Screens proliferate, including rear entertainment displays, yet the atmosphere is more lounge than electronics showroom; five-zone climate control, ventilated seats and the Burmester system work discreetly. It is not flawless. The steering is light on conversation, and its sheer size can turn a basement car park into an aptitude test. But few cars make family logistics feel this ceremonial. The Night Edition does not reinvent the GLS; it dims the lights, swaps the silverware for black tie and makes excess look rather well bred.

Women, Warriors, Winners

IN a country where women form nearly half the population, they may soon get a third of political representation in Parliament, the nation's highest legislative body. The implementation of the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam could do more than bolster women's faith in Indian democracy. As more young women assume positions of power, they will not only shape the politics of today, but also the India of tomorrow.Just look at grassroots institutions across the country to see the transformation women's empowerment can bring. Currently, India has some 1.45 million elected women representatives in its Panchayati Raj Institutions. That is 46 per cent of the total, the highest for women in local governance in the world. Dolly, the 36-year-old sarpanch of Sadipur village in Bihar, remembers only too well when she took over the gram kachahari (village court) to resolve local disputes. People would initially walk past her and toward her husband, assuming he was in charge, given how common proxy representation is a reality across India's rural swathes. But Dolly let her work speak for itself and soon left no one in doubt who was calling the shots.In another Bihar village--Tilkari in Munger district-- Bina Devi first discovered the value of financial independence herself and then proceeded to share it with women in a hundred other villages. When scientists from a neighbouring agricultural university came to train women in mushroom farming, the then Tilkari sarpanch turned the skill into an engine of enterprise not just for her own family but for women across the region.Sometimes, a seemingly small intervention by a woman in power can go a long way in improving the everyday existence of women around her. IAS officer Hari Chandana Dasari played that role in Telangana. As district collector of Narayanpet, she observed how the local women had stopped going to the weekly market because there was nowhere for them to relieve themselves during the day. Hari Chandana had a `She-toilet' installed at the market, and the locals can't thank her enough for it.Dolly, Bina and Hari Chandana are among the 50 women under 50 we are featuring in our Independence Day special issue this year. As india today magazine completes 50 years of publication, we decided to celebrate