MERCEDES-BENZ M-CLASS

The 'Mercedes-Benz M-Class' is a mid-size luxury SUV with light off-road capability, first offered in 1997, and built in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA. It marked a shift at Mercedes-Benz in becoming a global player; while it had plants outside Germany before, they merely built facsimiles of German models. In contrast, the M-Class was conceived with the American market in mind and built at an American factory. Despite poor quality control, the M-Class became a huge sales success in the United States. In fact, only the C-Class and E-Class sell better in the US. In size, it is slotted below the GL-Class.

Contents

1998 to 2005

2006-present

ML63 AMG

External links

References

1998 to 2005

The M-Class was the first SUV to feature stability control, a system designed to detect loss of control and instantaneously intervene with selective braking to bring the vehicle back on its intended course. This system is now hailed by safety experts, and studies have shown stability control and systems like it are capable of reducing single vehicle crashes by up to 30 percent. Furthermore, the M-Class boasted front- and side-impact airbags with advanced occupant detection for the front passenger seat, which, combined with Mercedes' legendary safety structure, earned the M-Class the highest marks in insurance industry crash tests. For the 2007 model it was named a top safety pick.
Initial quality was poor, and jokes about an "Alabama Mercedes" began to make the rounds. A road test on the BBC programme ''Top Gear'' revealed that the presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, could put his fingers into the gap below the rear lights and above the rear bumper. This improved over the years, especially after a mild facelift for 2002. However, owners are often unhappy with the car's quality - for example, the car was placed last out of 142 cars in the ''Top Gear'' Motoring Survey 2004. DaimlerChrysler spent US$600 million on improvements at the Alabama factory before launching the second-generation ML in 2005.
Before the vehicle was launched, Mercedes-Benz allowed the producers to use two pre-production M-Class SUVs in the film , and used the vehicle's appearance in the film as a way to advertise it when it was launched. As a result, a Mercedes-Benz ad appears before the film on original VHS copies of the film.

Major model variants have included the ML320, ML350, ML430, ML500 and ML55, along with the 4-cylinder ML230 and the turbodiesel ML270 CDI and ML400 CDI in Europe. The ML55, or ML55 AMG, featured a V8 engine made by AMG, modified body-work, and other performance features. Pricing initially was US$33,950 for the base model in 1998. The ML350 replaced the ML320 as the base model in the United States in 2004.

The M-Class was ''Motor Trend'' magazine's Truck of the Year for 1998. The ML320 was voted the 1998 North American Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, in January 1998.
The current Popemobile is based on a W163 ML430 and has been in service since July 2002.^[1] VW had offered to build a new vehicle based on the Touareg, but Pope Benedict XVI declined as he prefers to ride in a Mercedes-Benz.^[2]
The W163 was also the chassis of choice for Formula One medical cars in 2004. ML55 AMGs were on standby at strategic locations around the track to deliver emergency medical personnel in case of a serious accident.

2006-present

The redesigned M-class (chassis name ''W164'') was introduced to the public in April 2005 as a 2006 model after showing at the North American International Auto Show in January. It is almost entirely new, with a more sporting, aerodynamic look—the coefficient of drag is down to 0.34. Mercedes-Benz has also made the new M-class larger, measuring 150 mm longer than the first model. The M-Class was named "Best New Sport Utility Vehicle" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year awards. The back was commonly referred as a shoebox so Daimler Chrysler spent most of their $600 million dollars on redesigning that part.
Due to public knowledge of poor quality control at the Vance, Alabama factory (in Tuscaloosa County), Mercedes-Benz extensively publicized the US$600 million that was spent to update the factory and add additional manufacturing space for the new R-Class. According to early automotive press reports, the 2006 M-Class vehicles demonstrate vast improvements in build quality.
The W164 platform used for the new M-Class is shared with the new GL-Class and is a unibody type rather than the former (W163) body-on-frame used by the M-Class vehicles produced from 1997-2005. The X164 GL-CLass, a longer 7-seater version of the W164 platform, is also available.
New features in the 2006 M-Class include the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed transmission, optional Active Curve-Illuminating Bi-Xenon headlights which "steer" in the path of the vehicle, and an adjustable-height air suspension. The base price for the ML350 in the US is about US$43,500.
4-valve engines are replacing the previous 3-valve SOHC V6 and current 3-valve V8:

★ 'ML350' - 3.5 L 4-valve V6, 272Hp(258 ft·lbf)

★ 'ML500' - 4.9 L 3-valve V8, 302HP(455 N·m)

★ 'ML550' - 5.5 L 4-valve V8, 382HP(550 N·m)

★ 'ML63 AMG' - 6.2 L 4-valve V8, 510HP (347 kW)

★ 'ML280 CDI' - 3.0 L V6 Turbo Diesel, 188HP (325 ft·lbf)

★ 'ML320 CDI' - 3.0 L V6 Turbo Diesel, 224HP (376 ft·lbf)

★ 'ML420 CDI' - 4.2 L V8 Diesel, 306HP (700 N·m)
Models using Bluetec Diesel engine with urea injection will be introduced for the 2009 model year.

ML63 AMG

The AMG version of the W164, the 'ML63 AMG', was introduced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show as a 2007 model. It features a 6.2 L ''M156'' V8 engine producing 503 hp (375 kW) and 465 ft·lbf (630 N·m) of torque. Mercedes-Benz's 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission is standard. It's capable of pushing the ML63 AMG from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds.

External links

★ Mercedes-Benz U.S. International

★ AutoGuideWiki.com

★ ModernOffroader.com cutaway drawing

★ Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG, the best Luxury SUV of 2006

★ UK Mercedes-Benz M-Class Information Website

References

1. 2002 – Mercedes-Benz ML 430 with special bodywork
2. 2005-07-08 Pontiff Withholds Blessing From VW's Proposed Popemobile