Mercedes claims a fuel economy improvement of 10% with the gas V6 over its predecessor, while the 2012 BlueTEC engine is said to consume less than the old diesel. More power and less fuel? We like that.
What’s amazing about the BlueTEC V6 is how smoothly it operates; quiet and refined, the average occupant might not guess it’s a diesel. And all that low-rpm torque makes for quick getaways. At the conclusion of our road trip, my driving partner and I achieved an average of 9.2 L/100 km. That’s pretty good for a 4,800-lb truck driven by two autojournos.
And when you choose the diesel version of the M-Class, you also get impressive towing capacity; Mercedes claims the BlueTEC can pull up to 7,716 lbs (or 3,500 kilograms).
The new ML is slightly longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model. Inside, though, you don’t really feel any gain in space. In fact, cargo space is reduced; with the rear seat in place, volume drops from 833 litres to 690. With the rear seats folded away, which is easily performed with one hand, total space amounts to 2,010 litres.
You get the usual standard features and trimmings, such as ARTICO artificial leather upholstery, several wood trim choices, a power sunroof, a power-adjustable steering column, front and rear park sonar and dual-zone climate control. Great news for those who were always irritated by the awkwardly-located turn signal lever; it has traded places with the cruise control stalk, and all redesigned Mercedes models will follow suit.
However, the Canadian-market M-Class will differ slightly from the US versions. The most significant element is the standard-equipment AMG styling package; it includes more-aggressive front and rear bumpers as well as sportier, body-coloured rocker panels. We drove the US-spec version, and on a personal note, the black lower-body trim spoils the otherwise smart and elegant look of the ML. Hooray for the AMG visual add-ons.
Canadian-spec versions also get standard heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rear-seat airbags and 19-inch, twin-spoke alloy wheels.
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| The 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 serves up 240 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |
What’s amazing about the BlueTEC V6 is how smoothly it operates; quiet and refined, the average occupant might not guess it’s a diesel. And all that low-rpm torque makes for quick getaways. At the conclusion of our road trip, my driving partner and I achieved an average of 9.2 L/100 km. That’s pretty good for a 4,800-lb truck driven by two autojournos.
And when you choose the diesel version of the M-Class, you also get impressive towing capacity; Mercedes claims the BlueTEC can pull up to 7,716 lbs (or 3,500 kilograms).
The new ML is slightly longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model. Inside, though, you don’t really feel any gain in space. In fact, cargo space is reduced; with the rear seat in place, volume drops from 833 litres to 690. With the rear seats folded away, which is easily performed with one hand, total space amounts to 2,010 litres.
You get the usual standard features and trimmings, such as ARTICO artificial leather upholstery, several wood trim choices, a power sunroof, a power-adjustable steering column, front and rear park sonar and dual-zone climate control. Great news for those who were always irritated by the awkwardly-located turn signal lever; it has traded places with the cruise control stalk, and all redesigned Mercedes models will follow suit.
However, the Canadian-market M-Class will differ slightly from the US versions. The most significant element is the standard-equipment AMG styling package; it includes more-aggressive front and rear bumpers as well as sportier, body-coloured rocker panels. We drove the US-spec version, and on a personal note, the black lower-body trim spoils the otherwise smart and elegant look of the ML. Hooray for the AMG visual add-ons.
Canadian-spec versions also get standard heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rear-seat airbags and 19-inch, twin-spoke alloy wheels.
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| Canadian-spec versions also get standard heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and rear-seat airbags. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |