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Four-wheel drive is standard throughout the range, as are air suspension, adaptive damping, downhill speed regulation, hill start assist, off-road ABS and - for towing purposes - Trailer Stability Assist. Mercedes claims that the GL-Class can handle "the most extreme off-road terrain" - it has failed to live up to such boasts in the past, but the GL-Class certainly seems well kitted-out for serious mud-plugging.  Its range of engines, on the other hand, suggests an emphasis on the parts of the world where roads are made of tarmac. The entry-level unit is a 224bhp 3.2-litre V6 diesel, and it's joined by a 4.2-litre V8 with maximum power of 306bhp and maximum torque of over 500lb/ft. Both diesels are within Euro IV emission regulation limits.
Of the two petrol engines, one makes its debut in the GL-Class - a 4.6-litre V8 producing 340bhp. Its larger brother, the 388bhp 5.5-litre V8, has already been launched in the S-Class luxury saloon. All four engines in the range are matched to the Mercedes 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission as standard.
Mercedes has, of course, been making chunky off-roaders for a long time. The G-Class is coming into its 26th year of production and will continue to be marketed alongside the GL-Class, though aimed at a different set of potential buyers.
Full details of UK-specification GL-Class models will be confirmed next year.
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