Air outtake splitter Mansory Carbon for Mercedes GLS X167

Mansory Carbon Air Outtake Splitter for Mercedes-Benz GLS X167

The Mansory carbon air outtake splitter is the small but theatre-loaded carbon fin that lives inside the rear-quarter air-outlet vent of the Mercedes-Benz GLS X167 and divides the visible airflow column into two crisp halves. Within the wider Mansory Body Kit for Mercedes GLS X167 programme it is a deliberate jewellery-grade detail rather than a structural panel — the piece an owner specifies when the fender extensions, the air-outtake cover and the front-fender panel are already in carbon and the eye demands one final correctly-orientated weave inside the vent itself. On AMG GLS 63 with its Panamericana grille and four central exhausts the splitter sharpens the rear-quarter vocabulary; on standard GLS 450 with EQ Boost mild-hybrid inline-six and on GLS 580 with the M177 V8 BiTurbo it lifts the cosmetic rhythm of the side without altering the calm Mercedes posture.

Construction & Materials

The air-outtake splitter is laid up as a single carbon moulding with an integrated mounting flange that follows the inner geometry of the OEM vent housing. Mansory's atelier orientates the weave so that the dominant 0/90 axis runs in line with the rocker crease above the running-board — the eye reads the splitter as part of the same horizontal sentence rather than a foreign shape. The lay-up is thin, light and structurally sized for a permanently fixed decorative element, not a load-bearing aero blade.

• 3K twill carbon outer skin with optional 2K plain-weave on request, hand-laid in a low-pressure mould
• Vacuum-bag prepreg cure, post-cured for dimensional stability against rear-quarter heat soak
• Wall thickness 1.6–1.9 mm depending on rib geometry; piece weight 110–160 g
• Deep-gloss UV-stable lacquer over the weave, or factory-raw exposed weave with satin clear on bespoke order
• 3M VHB foam tape on the primary contact face plus two integrated clip lugs that engage the OEM vent's interior ribs
• Edges hand-deburred and CNC-trimmed; no visible adhesive line when seated correctly
• Inner face primed matte black so the splitter reads as a clean carbon fin with no painted shoulder showing
• UV inhibitors and IR-stable resin chosen for a vent location that catches direct summer sun on the body side

Design & Visual Function

The job of the air-outtake splitter is purely visual. The OEM rear-quarter vent on the GLS X167 is a flat blade-shaped recess flanked by chrome surrounds; left as factory it reads as a single horizontal slit. Drop the Mansory splitter into the cavity and the slit becomes two stacked apertures, which gives the rear quarter the same layered-fin language Mansory uses on the front bumper intakes and on the diffuser. The geometry is a long shallow fin with a chamfered leading edge and a softly tapered trailing edge so that, viewed from three-quarter rear, the carbon catches a single highlight along its top edge and disappears into shadow underneath.

Weave alignment is the part that separates a Mansory atelier piece from a generic copy. The 0/90 dominant axis is set parallel to the rocker line and to the lower edge of the rear door, so the eye traces an unbroken horizontal from front-fender panel through fenders extension, across the door skin, into the air-outtake cover and finally onto the splitter fin itself. The chrome surround of the OEM vent is preserved — Mansory's logic on the GLS X167 is that the silver-bright frame works as a picture-frame around the dark carbon centre rather than something to be eliminated.

The splitter is the smaller decorative half of a deliberate two-piece set. The air-outtake-cover wraps the outer face of the vent; the splitter divides the inner aperture. Specified together they read as one carved object; specified alone, the splitter is the discreet move — a passer-by simply registers a more layered, more expensive-looking vent without identifying the part. AMG GLS 63 and standard GLS / 580 trim cosmetics differ slightly in chrome thickness around the vent surround, and the splitter is dimensioned to clear both so that it sits flush regardless of trim.

Compatibility & Fitment

The splitter fits the Mercedes-Benz GLS X167 from the 2019 launch onwards, including the post-MY2024 facelift, across GLS 450 (3.0L inline-six with EQ Boost mild-hybrid), GLS 580 (4.0L V8 BiTurbo, 4MATIC) and AMG GLS 63 (4.0L V8 BiTurbo with EQ Boost, ~603 hp, Panamericana grille, four central exhausts, 9G-TRONIC and AIRMATIC with E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL). The OEM rear-quarter air outlet sits aft of the rear door shut-line, between the upper edge of the rocker and the start of the rear-fender extension territory; the OEM fender vent is fully retained — the splitter occupies the inner cavity rather than replacing any structural element.

Because the splitter does not interact with the front-fender panel beyond visual continuity, owners can specify it whether or not the front-fender panel and the fenders extension have already been upgraded to carbon. There is no clash with parking sensors, with AIRMATIC ride-height changes, with rear-camera washer routing or with third-row seat folding. Panoramic-roof drainage routing is unaffected — the splitter is well below and forward of the rear-quarter glass.

Installation & Reversibility

Installation is a 30–60 minute DIY-friendly job at room temperature on a clean dry body. The OEM vent surface is degreased with isopropyl alcohol; the 3M VHB foam tape backing is unpeeled in stages so the splitter can be offered up dry first. Two integrated clip lugs locate the part against interior ribs of the vent so the mount points do not rely solely on adhesive. Final pressure is applied with steady palm force for thirty seconds along the full length of the fin; ideal cure of the VHB is 24 hours undisturbed before a wash. Removal, if a future owner wants the car back to factory, is a careful slide of fishing line behind the fin to break the foam, then residue-clean with adhesive remover — the OEM vent housing is not modified and there are no drilled holes. For owners who prefer a workshop fit, any Mercedes-certified body shop or Mansory-trained installer will set the part in well under an hour.

Pairing within the Mansory GLS X167 programme

The natural sibling is the Mansory carbon air outtake cover — covers wrap the outer face of the same vent that the splitter divides internally, so the two parts function as a duo and most owners specify them together. Visual continuity along the body side benefits from Mansory carbon fenders extension, which carry the rocker-line weave forward of the air-outlet, and from Mansory carbon front-fender panel, which closes the loop at the front of the body so the carbon vocabulary reads end to end rather than as a single point of detail.

Maintenance & Durability

Lacquered carbon care on the GLS X167 follows the same logic Mansory specifies across its programme: pH-neutral shampoo, soft microfibre, two-bucket wash, no traffic-film removers with strong alkaline content, no ammonia-based glass cleaners running off onto the vent. Ceramic coating over the lacquer is excellent — a 9H-grade coating restores the deep wet look after a year of UV and adds a sacrificial layer that makes bird-strike removal trivial. Carnauba wax also works and gives a slightly warmer carbon tone, at the cost of more frequent reapplication. Avoid abrasive sponges, pressure-washer lances within 30 cm of the leading edge, and any cleaner that fizzes — alkaline cleaners and ammonia eat lacquered carbon. Because the GLS sees school-run, long-distance and occasional gravel, paint protection film over the leading shoulder of the splitter is a sensible insurance for owners who park nose-in to kerbs frequently. If the lacquer chips, a Mansory-trained refinisher can spot-repair the affected band; full panel re-lacquer is also possible without removing the splitter from the car.

Lead Time & Warranty

Lead time is 4–8 weeks from confirmed specification. Each splitter is hand-laid, post-cured and quality-graded against Mansory's atelier finish standard before it ships. The 12-month warranty covers manufacturing defects in the carbon lay-up, lacquer integrity and mounting hardware. Accidental damage, kerb impact, alkaline-cleaner damage and resin-fade caused by aggressive solvents are owner-responsibility outside the warranty.

FAQ

Q: Does the splitter fit GLS 450, GLS 580 and AMG GLS 63 the same way?
A: Yes. The OEM rear-quarter air outlet shares geometry across the X167 range, and the splitter is dimensioned to clear the slightly thicker chrome surround on AMG GLS 63 trim as well as the 450 and 580 surrounds. Visual difference between trims is the surrounding chrome, not the vent cavity itself.

Q: If I damage the splitter, is it repairable?
A: Lacquer chips and shallow weave abrasions are spot-repairable by a Mansory-trained refinisher. Deeper damage that compromises the carbon substrate is best handled by replacing the part — at this scale, a fresh splitter is faster and cleaner than a structural carbon repair.

Q: Can I have the splitter in raw exposed weave instead of deep-gloss lacquer?
A: Yes — Mansory offers a satin-clear over factory-raw weave on bespoke order. The raw finish reads more matte and more technical; the lacquered finish is the signature deep wet look. Choose to match whatever the air-outtake cover and the rest of the body-side carbon are wearing.

Q: Splitter alone or splitter plus air-outtake cover — what is the trade-off?
A: The splitter on its own is the discreet move: passers-by notice a more layered vent without identifying the part. The splitter plus cover is the full statement: the entire rear-quarter vent reads as one carved Mansory object. Most owners who already have fenders extension and front-fender panel in carbon specify both, because the cover-only or splitter-only look risks visual asymmetry from a few metres away.

Q: What is the lead time on a single splitter pair?
A: 4–8 weeks, in line with the rest of Mansory's atelier production. If the splitter is being specified together with the air-outtake cover or with larger panels, the whole order ships as one consignment to keep weave batches matched.

Pair with the air-outtake cover, the fenders extension and the front-fender panel for a coherent body-side carbon signature, and contact us to confirm trim, weave and finish before production opens. Talk specification: WhatsApp +44 7488 818 747 or [email protected].