Even More Superior
by Ross Finlay (26 Sep 01)

Always a formidable piece of four-wheel drive engineering, the M-Class was introduced in 1997 with so-so styling and a simply not good enough interior. The way it handled off-road, and its reassuring stability on normal roads in all weathers, compensated physically for its weaknesses, but so, psychologically, did the presence of the three-pointed star.

Earlier versions of the M-Class have found almost 320,000 buyers world-wide. The latest models, available from October, will certainly build on that customer base, because - especially in the case of the new ML500 which featured at the launch - this is an even more superior 4x4 than what was effectively the Mark Two.

The basic body shape, of course, remains as before, but the revised front and rear bumpers enhance the appearance, and so, most noticeably, does the complex new headlamp array. This is also one of those cars which benefits from a more striking road wheel design. The new standard-fit 17" alloys help to give the whole model range a more purposeful, as well as a more up-to-date, appearance.

Foglamps are built into the new front bumper design, and another change to the lighting display is that front indicator repeaters are incorporated in the door mirror housings. Mercedes started doing this on the SLK, and it works well enough without being particularly attractive.

Top-Class Trim

There's no doubt about the attractiveness of the interior, though. The ML500 really looks the part of a well fitted-out premium 4x4. Its leather upholstery (included in the extra-cost luxury pack available on the less expensive models) is superior to the trim fitted in many high-toned saloons, with a grained outer area to the seat coverings, and a perforated finish in the centre.

The seats themselves are very supportive, and, despite its rather dumpy silhouette, the M-class offers plenty of passenger space in the rear. Right at the back is usually a roomy luggage area, although occasional fold-down seats there are another option.

Burr walnut trim (you can't beat it) is standard on the ML500, while the carbon finish on the ML320 and the ML270CDI has been replaced by eucalyptus.

There's a new design of centre console, and the air conditioning system has been upgraded to fully automatic climate control with revised and more businesslike dials. Window airbags are now fitted, there's automatic headlamp operation, and one of several customer moans about the previous model has been answered by fitting a fuel tank with 13 litres more capacity.

With the ML430 having been dropped, the range now starts with the £28,795 common rail ML270 CDI. The first petrol-engined version is the ML320 at £31,640, and the £41,390 charged for the ML500, with its 292bhp five-litre V8 engine, makes you wonder just how the extra cost of some of its rivals can possibly be justified.

Top of the range is the very specialised ML55 AMG, a stunning performer for a 4x4, at £51,040.

A Snick Into Reverse, By Itself

Off-road, the new M-Class benefits from modified traction control and braking systems, altered mainly to keep the car on a tighter rein when going down really steep slopes. I didn't experience this myself, but one of the Mercedes off-road specialists explained that in super-severe descents the latest cars are actually prepared to apply a touch of reverse wheelspin.

On the road, the ML500 was really top-class. While the turbo diesel is available with a six-speed manual transmission, the other models combine the transfer box with a five-speed automatic including that beautiful "tip" function Mercedes uses for manual changes.

There's none of that push-forward, pull-back stuff as in other automatics of this general kind. Like its saloon and estate relatives, the M-class needs just a short sideways nudge, left for down the box and right for up.

On the road, the big V8 engine really makes the ML500 shift, taking it to 62mph in 7.7 seconds. But the handling is by no means overwhelmed by the power output, and the "tip" function makes it an easy job to be in the right gear for a powered exit from any corner. The ride quality is very composed, and far more supple than many of the M-class's rivals.

It's also noticeable that road surface noise is unusually restrained. The M-Class uses a new type of tyre - not all-terrain, but all-seasons, a neat reminder that this is first and foremost a road car, dynamically adept in any weather conditions from benign to severe.

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