The German car manufacturer, Mercedes Benz had already announced its plans on starting to assemble its M class and the GL class vehicles in India. The company has plans to assemble the M class from next year while the GL will start to be assembled from 2013 at the company’s assembly plant in Pune. To complement the company’s plans a Mercedes M class was spotted in Mumbai Air Cargo bay, thanks to a member of Team-BHP. Currently the M class and the GL class vehicles are being imported by the company from Europe.

The new 2012 ML is powered by a 3 litre turbocharged diesel V6 engine that produces 240 BHP f power. The engine is mated to a 7 speed automatic transmission. The new ML according to the company has been a major change compared to the older M class in terms of performance, features and efficiency. Like for example, the new ML 250 just consumes 6 litres of fuel per 100 km and the company claims the vehicle can cover as much as 1500 km on a single tank of fuel. The 3 litre engine features BlueEfficiency technology leading to a class leading fuel efficiency value. The engines also feature BlueTec diesel and BlueTec Direct Injection for the petrol counterpart. The drag coefficient of the car is quite low at 0.32.

The vehicle also features Adaptive Damping System, Active Curve System for active roll stabilization, AIRMATIC air suspension and ON/OFF road package with 6 driving modes. The 7 speed gearbox is automatic and is controlled via either the ‘Direct Select Direct Select’ lever r the ‘Direct Select’ shift paddles on the steering wheel. The company also claims to have developed something in the latest M class vehicles termed as “energy transparent vehicle”. The “energy-transparent vehicle” process which is exclusive to Daimler enables the development engineers to highlight and leverage optimisation potential both for cars with conventional internal combustion engines as well as hybrid, electric or fuel-cell drives. In future, this process may even give rise to a generally applicable development tool for all machines and help boost energy efficiency across the board. Apart from all this, the car also features a host of other features like Attention Assist, Speed Limit Assist, Tire Pressure loss warning system, Brake Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, reverse camera and part assist with PARKTRONIC.

Spy Picture Source – Team-BHP

The upcoming 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class has been unveiled. The new M-Class which now sports a new design, along with being longer and slightly wider is expected to be launched in India at the 2012 Auto Expo. The 2012 model not only looks sharper, but will drive better too. Interiors have been given a thorough refresh, taking cues from the big daddy from the Mercedes stable, the S-Class. Revised engines will debut in the new M, with the car getting a host of fuel saving technologies. The company will offer six different off-road modes just like what Land Rover does. They include automatic, off-road 1, off-road 2, trailer, sport and winter. Mercedes continues to focus on safety with the new M-Class which will offer nine airbags as standard. Lane keep and blind spot assist along with night vision system will be standard across the model range. The rear seat is expected to offer better comfort, which the current version lacks. The new M-Class should set things straight by addressing the short comings of the current model.

Mercedes-Benz is taking a bold move as it plans to assemble its M-Class in India. The German automaker plans to go the CKD way for their SUV and will utilise their Chakan facility for the same. CKD operations for the M-Class will commence by the end of 2011 and will help reduce the price of the vehicle to around Rs. 45 lakhs. The M-Class costs Rs. 70 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai), whereas its German rivals the BMW X5 and Audi Q5 cost Rs. 69 lakhs and Rs. 58 lakhs respectively. The Audi Q5 is also locally assembled in India and takes advantage of the lower excise duties.

“Assembling the M-Class is the next step in adding more models to assembly in India. The demand for the M-Class is steadily growing and after the sedans, this model sees the highest demand. We are looking to start local assembly by next year, including the engine,” a senior Mercedes-Benz official said.

Source – Hindu Business Line

Mercedes-Benz has launched the M-Class Grand Edition in two variants – Grand Sports and Grand Executive for the Indian market. The Sport Edition is priced at Rs. 54.11 Lakhs while the Executive Edition is priced at Rs. 47.91 lakhs (ex-showroom Pune). The front end of the M-Class Grand Edition is now defined by redesigned darkened headlamps, LED daytime driving light integrated with the front bumper and the 19″ light-alloy wheels in 10-spoke design. A new two-tone colour scheme add fresh highlights to the interior. Additionally the interiors flaunt an AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel along with an Grand edition badge on the central console. The spare wheel is now placed in the boot.

In terms of technology, the M-Class Grand Edition features like permanent four-wheel drive and 4ETS traction systems while incorporating functions such as Downhill Speed Regulation, Acceleration skid control (ASR) and the off-road ABS system. The AIRMATIC air suspension significantly improves ride comfort while the Adaptive Damping System (ADS), adjusts shock absorber response to suit driving situations. The rear axle has a four-link suspension system. Standard-fitted 19” light-alloy wheels in 10-spoke design emphasize the sporting pedigree of this stylish SUV. Additionally the M-Class Grand Edition also features as standard – Heated seats, PARKTRONIC & NECK-PRO luxury head restraints as well.

Mercedes-Benz will launch a new edition of the M-class priced at a premium of Rs. 5 lakhs over the regular M. The new version will be called the ‘Grand Edition’ and will feature a new exterior and interior styling package. These new features on the Grand M-Class will include LED daytime running lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, dark-tinted headlamps, thermal insulation glass, AMG radiator grille and underguards, and aluminium roof rails for the exterior and new wood trim parts, ambient lighting and Artico man-made leather upholstery for the inside.

Source – ACI

Mercedes-Benz has launched the 2010 M-Class in two options – Sports edition priced at Rs. 55 lakhs and Luxury edition priced at Rs 60.9 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). In terms of technology, the 2010 M-Class takes forward exciting features like permanent four-wheel drive and 4ETS traction systems to the next level by incorporating additional functions such as Downhill Speed Regulation, Acceleration skid control (ASR) and the off-road ABS system. The AIRMATIC air suspension significantly improves ride comfort, while the Adaptive Damping System (ADS), adjusts shock absorber response to suit driving situations.

The Sports Edition includes Interior sports package (consisting of interior lighting package, sports instrument cluster, sports pedal system made of brushed stainless steel with rubber studs, Alcantra/ARTICO man made leather upholstery with contrasting topstitching, electrically adjustable front sports seats), Exterior Sports Package (19 inch 5 twin spoke light alloy wheels, rectangular tailpipes with chrome trim, aluminum-look roof rails, chromed waistline trim strip, load sill guard on the rear bumper in chrome and simulated front underguard in stainless steel).

In addition to the Exterior sports package, the luxury edition includes a wood/leather multifunction steering wheel, Thermotronic 3-Zone Automatic climate control, harmankardon LOGIC 7® Surround Sound® system (12 high performance speakers with 610 watts output), Anti-Theft Protection package and Leather seats.

Mercedes-Benz has reached the 1 million mark production milestone for its M-Class built at its plant in Alabama where operations began 12 years ago. The 1 millionth Alabama built M-Class is a palladium silver ML350 BlueTEC diesel destined for a West Coast Mercedes-Benz dealership. Work is under way at the plant on a $290 million expansion of the body shop to accommodate the next-generation versions of the vehicles now built there.

The latest Euro NCAP test results are a testimony to the innovative safety systems of the M-Class that have been designed to match the reality of an accident in the standard crash test safety concept. Equipped as standard with six airbags, belt tighteners, belt force limiters and crash-responsive NECK-PRO headrests PRE-SAFE® passenger safety system, the SUV ensures its occupants an excellent standard of protection in the event of an accident.

The M-Class is the only SUV in the world to have the protective PRE-SAFE® passenger protection as standard. This system, which is unique in this segment, uses the driver’s braking and steering behavior to recognize critical situations. It can then activate preventive safety measures even before an accident occurs by undertaking the following ESP interventions:

• Activate the reversible belt tighteners
• Close the side windows and optional sliding-tilting sunroof
• Alter the front passenger’s seating position (with optional seat memory)

In tests analyzing the effect of PRE-SAFE® components in the M-Class, there was a 40% proven reduction in forces to the neck and head with the key role played by the reversible belt tighteners which use electric motors. If an accident is prevented and a stable driving state is restored, the belts loosen again. While on the other hand, if an accident does occur, the M-Class safeguards the passengers with six airbags, pyrotechnic belt tighteners (for the front and outer rear seats) and belt force limiters (for the front and outer rear seats) that provide excellent passenger protection in combination with the robust passenger cell.

The internal criteria and tests used by Mercedes-Benz go far beyond this and are based on its own accident researches that have been carried out systematically since 1969. For an instance the M-Class roof drop test

“Euro NCAP” stands for the independent “European New Car Assessment Programme” organised by European transport ministries, car clubs and insurance associations. The Euro NCAP publishes tests that provide consumers with accurate information based on in-depth research about the safety performance of individual car models in frontal and side collisions. The standard tests (front impact with 40 % offset, side barrier and pillar impact) cover the most frequent types of accident but only cover a fraction of the potential kinds of accidents.

Besides the Euro NCAP, the new M-Class has been rewarded with excellent test results confirmed internationally by other well-known testing organizations : -

• The M-Class has received the ‘best grade in the frontal and side impact’ ratings by the US traffic safety organization NHTSA
• The American IIHS Institute (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) gave the M-Class the “Top Safety Pick” award as a result of its top marks for passenger protection in the frontal, side and rear impacts.

This highlights the fact that the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class is able to implement comfort, off-road abilities, driving dynamics and safety at the highest level even in an SUV.

2010 Mercedes M-Class - Click above for high resolution picture gallery

Car tested: 2009 Mercedes ML320 CDI V6 4MATIC (W164)

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 63,81,990/-

MotorBeam rating:

We have never been a big fan of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Even when we saw it at the Autocar Performance Show last year, we thought it was just a lame attempt by Mercedes to enter the SUV segment or maybe we were too occupied drooling at the Mercedes C63 AMG standing next to it. However when you get behind the wheel of the Mercedes M-Class, most opinions change instantly.

Exteriors – The M-Class looks quite small in pictures and it indeed is small in person. The car is designed to look more like a soft roader than a macho off roader. The rear lights are quite small and a layman just won’t be able to make out the difference between the old M-Class and the new one. The massive tires give it massive presence. Chrome on the rear mirrors are typical of new generation Mercs and looks cool. Overall the car does look good but doesn’t have presence like the Audi Q7.

Interiors – The test car came with beige interiors. The dash is very well laid out. The gear lever is on like a indicator, you select the gear you want and off you go. The driver seat is very comfortable. The front seats are electrically operated. The multifunction steering wheel gets paddle shifts to make you feel like Lewis Hamilton or maybe Jenson Button. Analog clock in the instrument panel is very very neat. Rear view mirrors though small are heated and electrically folding (no big deal here, cars like the i20 have this feature too). The LCD screen known as the Telematic System has bluetooth connectivity for making those important calls, 6CD changer and a dialing keypad. On turning on the system it reads “Don’t let the Audio system distract you”, sweet!

Rear gets its own set of AC vents and controls. The dual zone climate control at the front keeps you chilled admist all the heat. The rear bench is superbly comfortable. Even with the front seat pushed back to a great extent, rear seat passengers won’t feel left out. Individual reading lamps which gets activated with a touch is another small but cool feature. Music quality was above average and quite decent for most. The boot is huge, as the M-Class is a 5 seater, but I wonder what kind of luggage would anyone transport in the M-Class? Maybe a tent and a barbeque griller for off road adventures.

Built Quality - Mercedes doesn’t charge you for nothing. The cars built quality is fabulous. We couldn’t find any glitch with the test car, except the noisy spare tire which seemed to have lost a screw or two. The tail gate was making some weird noise. Doors shut with a massive thud. Even after taking the car extensively off road, everything felt in place.

On the Move – Turn on the ignition and you will never realise the car has a 6 cylinder diesel engine under its hood. The cabin is superbly insulated. Select D (Drive) on the gear stalk and the massive beast moves ahead without a hitch. The ML’s height can be lowered as well as increased and even on the highest of speed breakers, it didn’t even come close to making contact. This can be done thanks to the airmatic suspension which can be operated by the touch of a button. The car is quite wide which you won’t feel when you look from the outside. However the car feels very easy to drive. With all the electronic aid on offer, you hardly feel your driving anything bigger than a hatchback.

Off-Roading – We never thought the ML320 would be so capable off road. We took it to slush, grass, mud, water and it came out shinning bright. The 4MATIC system is smart. On any terrain the ESP kicks in ensuring you never spin. We tried our level best to do a 360 on slippery grass but the ESP just wouldn’t let us. A big thumbs up here.

Climbing steep inclines is like a cake walk for the M-Class. Just click a few buttons (rear Sports Mode) and the car spins its wheels, adjusts power accordingly and voila you are there. Even in the most slushy mud filled terrain with rain pouring the ML did not miss a beat and never did it disappoint us.  This is by no means a soft roader. It can off road well, very well.

Ride, Handling and Braking – Ride quality of the M-Class even on massive 19inch wheels is superb. The car never goes over bumps, it just glides over them. Bump, what bump? The sports  Handling is very good too for a car of this size and weight. ESP never lets you feel you will loose grip, even though you just might. Braking is the strongest part of this car. The massive 4 wheel discs are a absolute joy to use. Any speed, brake hard, you loose your face. You stop and put your face back on and move on. Such is the force of the brakes of the ML.

Performance – The ML320 CDI never felt like a diesel.  In auto mode with comfort mode activated the car never goes in first gear. But when you switch to manual mode by tapping the left paddle for two seconds all hell brakes loose. The gigantic 535Nm of torque is just insane. It never lets you feel you are driving a car which weights in excess of 2 tons. Reaching 160kmph in the ML is a breeze. After that the car looses a bit of steam and we ran out of empty roads. The engine is so refined and well configured, it reaches all the way to the red line at 5000rpm and never feels out of breath.

Conclusion – The Mercedes M-Class is a terrific off-roader. It has a go anywhere attitude, rides smoothly on tarmac and is terrifically comfortable. However 90% buyers will use it on the road rather than off it. Still the ML320 makes a very strong point for itself. With the supreme ride, comfortable seats, big boot and refined diesel engine the M-Class is a terrific car. But at 63 big ones, it doesn’t come cheap.

Whats Kool

• Braking
• Refined Diesel
• Off-Roading Ability
• Ride Quality
• Interior devoid of any noise
• Built Quality
• Safety

Whats UnKool

• Small mirrors
• Doesn’t look the part
• Noisy air vents at high blower speeds
• Service costs
• Price

Summing it up : -

How does it Drive:

How does it Off-Road:

How does it Look:

How does it Ride:

How does it Handle:

How does it Go:

Mercedes ML320 CDI 4MATIC Specifications : –

• Engine: 2987cc, V6
• Power: 234HP @ 3800rpm
• Torque: 535Nm @ 1600-2400rpm
• Transmission: 7G-TRONIC Auto
• Drive: All Wheel Drive 4MATIC
  
• Top Speed: 220kmph (est)
  
• 0-100kmph: 11.50 seconds (est)
• Fuel Consumption: 7-8 kmpl (City), 9-10 kmpl (highway)
• Fuel Type: Diesel
  
• Suspension: Coil springs, single-tube gas-filled shock absorbers (Front), Coil springs, single-tube gas-filled shock absorbers (Rear)
• Tires: 255/50/19 Tubeless Radials
• Brakes: Internally ventilated discs (Front), Discs (Rear), ABS, BAS
  
• Safety: ABS, BAS, Six Airbags, TCS, ESP, Pre-Safe, Neck-Pro, Parktronic, Fuel Cut-Off
• EURO NCAP Rating: (5 Star)

Mercedes ML320 CDI 4MATIC Dimensions : –

• Overall length x width x height: 4781mm X 1911mm X 1815mm
  
• Wheelbase: 2915mm
• Turning Radius: 5.8m
• Ground clearance: 223mm
• Boot Volume: 833 liters
  
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 95 litres
• Kerb Weight: 2185kgs

Official Website – Mercedes M-Class

Mercedes-Benz India has launched the 2009 version of the M-Class. The revised version of the M Class was launched internationally in March 2008 at the 2008 New York Auto Show. The upgrades to the M Class are the first major upgrades since 2005.

The updated Mercedes SUV gets a redesigned front and rear end, few interior refreshments and a new four-spoke multifunction steering wheel with added tech. The exteriors get new headlamps and a new grille, while the back receives smoked glass tail lamp treatment. The new car comes with features like 19-inch alloys, 7-speed GTronic automatic gearbox and a the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system.

Mercedes-Benz India will be offering the new M Class with two variants, both with V6 engines – the ML 320CDI diesel and the ML 350 petrol. Pricing has been kept very competitive with major slashes as compared to the earlier version. The ML 320 CDI has been priced at Rs 54 lakh ex-showroom Mumbai, while the petrol engined ML 350 comes with a price tag of Rs 53.77 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai.