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New Mercedes SUV is designed for power, performance

Frank A. Aukofer/Scripps Howard News Service
Friday, November 9, 2007

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Mercedes-Benz credits its sport utility vehicles with propping up the brand over the last decade.

In 1997, the company surprised the motoring world with the introduction of the first luxury-brand SUV, the ML320, which it sold at the unexpectedly low price of $34,545.

In the years since, it has introduced three others, along with updates, variations and new models, so that now there are four models with a dozen different versions.

There's the six-passenger R-Class, with its three rows of seats, which is more of a crossover utility vehicle (CUV) than an SUV. There's the second-generation ML, now available in four different versions, including a diesel and a high-performance AMG version.

There's the relatively new GL, a big, seven-passenger SUV, which made its debut as a 2006 model and also has a diesel version. And there's the G-Class, a boxy, barely-disguised military vehicle with quarter-century-old styling.

These non-traditional vehicles, according to Mercedes, were the bulwark that allowed the Mercedes brand to prosper over the last 10 years. On average, the SUVs accounted for about three in 10 sales of passenger vehicles with the three-pointed star.

So, for 2008, the company is buttressing the bulwark with a new engine and other changes for two of its SUVs: the ML and GL.

The engine is a new 5.5-liter V8, and it is the heartbeat for the new ML550 and GL550. It delivers 382 horsepower and a hefty 391 pounds-feet of torque, which is a measure of low-rpm power.

It's enough to launch either of these vehicles to 60 miles an hour in six seconds, more or less, despite weights of 5,434 pounds (GL) and 4,795 pounds (ML). Top speeds are governed at 130 miles an hour.

That sort of performance does not come without penalties, however. Under the government's new, more realistic fuel-economy ratings, both vehicles are unabashed gas guzzlers. The GL manages just 13/17 miles to the gallon on the EPA's city/highway cycle. The ML, at 13/18, doesn't do much better.

The question is whether this will give pause to some buyers, either because they might view it as wasteful or because they are environmentally sensitive. Likely it won't worry too many of them because these new vehicles require buyers who don't worry about hefty payments or prices.

But Mercedes offers alternatives as well. Both the ML and GL are available with six-cylinder diesel engines that deliver way better fuel economy.

Customers for the new GL550 and ML550 are likely to be relatively well-heeled, who value high performance over the preservation of planetary resources.

Neither of these vehicles comes cheap. The ML550 starts at $53,175 and the GL, which comes loaded, has a suggested price of $77,750. The latter includes all of the extensive Mercedes safety and luxury equipment, along with such things as a navigation system, rear-view camera, a distance-warning system for parking, three-zone automatic climate control, burl walnut interior trim, full leather upholstery, a motorized glass sunroof, power tailgate, Sirius satellite radio, heated second-row seats and a motorized glass sunroof.

The only factory options available are a keyless ignition, a trailer hitch and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. With those options, the tested GL550 topped out at $81,500.

For that, you get an SUV that is as slick as a Zamboni-treated ice rink. The ride is virtually bump-free on anything but the craggiest surfaces, and the interior is quiet enough so you can hear the subtleties of a concerto on the audio system.

Fat tires on the standard 21-inch alloy wheels keep the GL550 firmly planted despite its relatively tall profile. Handling is abetted by all-wheel drive that is automatic and unobtrusive. However, there's no low range for serious off-road duty, which is just as well because the GL's owners are unlikely to risk dents or scratches.

The V8 engine, working through the Mercedes seven-speed automatic transmission, goes about its work without strain and barely a murmur. It can be manually shifted with buttons on the steering wheel.

For people who need a seven-passenger vehicle that can also haul a lot of stuff, Mercedes makes it easy. The tailgate and third-row seats are motorized, so the seats fold into the cargo floor at the touch of a button. Buttons are located aft and in the right-side rear-door frame.

The second-row seats fold manually for cargo carrying or access to the third row, where two average-sized adults can ride in relative comfort.

There are some puzzling shortcomings. If you order the optional entertainment system, the DVD player is inconveniently located under the right-side second-row seat. The system, which features screens in the front-seat headrests, is operated by a remote control, but cannot be operated by the driver, so if mom is alone with the kids she must stop the car and crawl back there to change the movie.

Mercedes also continues with old technology for the six-disc CD changer, which is located in the glove compartment. There's a jack for an iPod or other music player, but there's no USB port for viewing photos on the dashboard screen.