Mercedes-Benz M-Class

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Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Manufacturer	Mercedes-Benz
Parent company	DaimlerChrysler
Production	1998–present
Assembly	Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Body style	4-door wagon
Similar	BMW X5 Lexus RX Porsche Cayenne

The Mercedes-Benz M-Class is a 4-door SUV with light off-road capability, first offered in 1997, and built in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA, at the same time as its competitor, the Lexus RX. 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 early negative press about 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 G-Class.

1 Introduction
2 2006
- 2.1 ML63 AMG
3 2009
4 External links

[edit] Introduction

W163

Production	1997–2005
Class	Mid-size entry-level luxury SUV
Engine	3.2 L V6 4.3 L V8 5.5 L V8 5.0 L V8 3.7 L V6
Transmission	5-speed automatic
Wheelbase	111.0 in (2820 mm)
Length	182.6 in (4638 mm)
Width	83.7 in (2126 mm)
Height	71.6 in (1820 mm)
Curb weight	4614 lb
Fuel capacity	22.0 US gal (83.0 L)

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 billion 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 The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 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 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 a few years after its introduction by Mercedes-Benz.

The M-Class was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year for 1998.

[edit] 2006

W164

Production	2006–present
Class	Mid-size entry-level luxury crossover SUV
Engine	3.5 L V6 5.0 L V8 4.6 L V8 5.5 L V8 6.2 L V8 3.0 L V6 4.0 L V8
Transmission	7-speed automatic
Wheelbase	114.7 in
Length	4788 mm (188.5 in)
Width	1910 mm (75.2 in)
Height	1815 mm (71.5 in)
Curb weight	2150 kg (4740 lb)
Fuel capacity	25.1 US gal

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 billion dollars on redesigning that part.

Due to public knowledge of poor quality control at the Vance, Alabama factory (just outside Tuscaloosa), Mercedes-Benz extensively publicized the US$600 billion 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 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$40,000.

4-valve engines are replacing the previous 3-valve SOHC V6 and current 3-valve V8:

ML350 - 3.5 L 4-valve V6, 200 kW (272 hp DIN) and 350 N·m (258 ft·lbf)
ML500 - 5.0 L 3-valve V8, 215 kW (292 hp DIN) and 336 ft·lbf (455 N·m)
ML450 - 4.6 L 4-valve V8, 325 hp (242 kW) and 370 ft·lbf (500 N·m)
ML550 - 5.5 L 4-valve V8, 410 hp (306 kW) and 405 ft·lbf (550 N·m)
ML63 AMG - 6.2 L 4-valve V8, 510 hp (347 kW)
ML280 CDI - 3.0 L V6 Turbo Diesel, 140 kW (190 hp DIN) and 440 N·m (325 ft·lbf)
ML320 CDI - 3.0 L V6 Turbo Diesel, 165 kW (224 hp DIN) and 510 N·m (376 ft·lbf)
ML400 CDI - 4.0 L BiTurbo V8, 315 hp (235 kW) and 516 ft·lbf (700 N·m)

[edit] 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.