2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class Preview

Living Up to the Reputation of the Three-Pointed Star.

To me, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class is one of the most influential vehicles of the late '90s. Before violently-worded emails

The Mercedes-Benz M-Class is one of the most influential vehicles of the late '90s, ushering in a whole new segment. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

questioning my common sense start rolling in, let me explain myself. Prior to the M-Class, the "luxury sport utility vehicle" didn't exist.

Sure, there was the Range Rover, but it was always burdened with a price tag that challenged the finest luxury sedans, hardly affordable by the masses. At the same time, you could also order a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Toyota's top-of-the-line Land Cruiser with leather and faux plastic wood, but these were simply options that did not cover their crude truck origins.

Then the M-Class arrived on the scene, marketed as an ML to appease BMW who was unhappy about the use of what they saw as "their" letter, and it sent the segment collectively

After its debut the M-Class soon became outclassed by the other luxury auto makers, but Mercedes wants to climb back to the top of the heap. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

scrambling to get its factories to produce something remotely as capable as the three pointed star's offering. Despite its separate chassis, and Fort Knox-build, the M provided handling and ride that were as close to a luxury sedan as anyone had ever experienced in an SUV, yet it could still ford a river and climb rocks.

North Americans loved the M-Class; its leather- and wood-lined interior gave it the image of an S-Class on elevator shoes, and it could even seat seven in a pinch. While it's true that Benz had been building the tank-like Gelandewagen (G-Class) since the late '70s, the M was something new. It was more the vehicle you'd traverse the urban jungle with, instead of the battle field.