2009 Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTEC 4MATIC Review

The Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTec is nothing less than a missionary. Its mission? Convert those who still doubt the quality of the diesel engine and its eco-friendly properties. To do so, it has enlisted a cutting edge technology dubbed BlueTec that limits both fuel consumption and harmful emissions.

The Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTec is nothing less than a missionary.

But that doesn’t mean that the GL320 is a compromise ride. On the contrary, it boasts the same premium features that make Mercedes-Benz the high-end brand it is, including flexible capabilities and a very luxurious finish.

A touch of green
Let’s get it out of the way: the BlueTec system is a proven, simple and efficient technology. It simply consists of injecting a urea-based solution called AdBlue into the exhaust system to eliminate the most harmful emissions.

Obviously, it’s a little more complicated than that, but in reality, it uses a small tank located in the rear of the vehicle that generally needs to be refilled at the same interval as the oil needs changing, with a product sold for less than $3 per litre.

Add to that a cleaner diesel mill kicking out a meagre 210 hp (very little considering the bulk of the beast) but an impressive 400 ft-lb of torque that gives the GL a lot of get-up-and-go and makes driving the mammoth a totally transparent experience.

A by no means insignificant detail, it’s been coupled with Mercedes’ famous seven-speed automatic transmission (7G-TRONIC) with manual mode and a 4MATIC AWD system that has proven its efficiency on ice in other models.

Call it strapping
A lightweight it is not. The GL is mammoth in size, five metres long and over two metres wide. Despite that, with a few rounded edges the designers managed to give the GL a dollop of sophistication. Don’t forget, this is the worthy heir of the G-Class, only the cabin of which could ever be called refined.

A cleaner diesel mill kicking out a meagre 210 hp but an impressive 400 ft-lb of torque.