Mercedes-Benz GL-Class officially announced
Mercedes-Benz has officially announced the GL-Class. The luxury
SUV, sibling to the R-Class and M-Class and the largest of the three, will be powered by a V-8 engine rated at 335
horsepower. (Diesel variants are available for the European version only.) The transmission offered is a seven-speed
automatic and the vehicle is all-wheel drive.
The GL-Class will seat up to seven passengers. The configurable seats can provide up to forty-four square feet for
five-passenger seating to more than eighty three square feet when the second row is stowed.
The interior is a Mercedes through and through with real burl walnut wood trim, power front seats, and a sunroof over
the third-row seating.
There had been speculation that Mercedez-Benz would
replace the G-Class with the GL-Class but the former will
remain in production.
The new GL-Class will be shown at the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on January
2006 and will be built at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
A spyshot of the Autoblog post can be found here. More details are provided here and here, as well.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Doogs 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
For some reason I can't stop thinking "look, it's the Mercedes Commander!"
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Chris Meisenzahl 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
I kind of like it a guess. Reminds me of a cross between a Jeep and a Pacifica.
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pedro 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
Apparently Mitsubishi found a buyer for all those unsold Monteros....
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TJ 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
looks kinda like a beefy forester
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Dave Johnson 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
Yet another overweight SUV!!! Couldn't resist saying... How come when it's Merc were talking about that SUV's weight doesn't matter? When it's GM it's ok to bash them into the ground with anti-SUV comments?
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TennisD 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
HOORAH! Another niche-mobile from Mercedes! Maybe they'll stick that 6.3 litre V12 in it, and then cripple it with ludicrous computer systems! YAY!
I don't like Mercedes.
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Tutulus 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
Honda Pilot anyone ?
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Koba 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
Looks good, I just don't know about an Alabama built Mercedes. It should be rather competent off-road which is a plus. Unfortunately it's going to be a more attainable, yuppier version of the G-class.
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Rishi Khaitan 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
I'm sure there will be demand from full-size lux SUV consumers but I can't help but think that Mercedes' model lineup is getting too complicated.
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varsity 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
I saw one of these on Peachtree Road in Buckhead three days ago. Silver with black tape over the front and rear, just like you see in 'spy shots' on websites like this. It had an Alabama manufacturer tag. Looks fairly conservative and typical for its size; I don't think it'll make a huge splash in the already-flooded large SUV market.
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tariq 12:28AM (12/19/2005)
i cant understand wot autoblog visiters hav against mercedes. sure this suv looks kinda strange but it has already started to grow on me. besides a vehicle has more than its looks and if lexus has lx 470, and cadillac has escalade, so y shouldnt mercedes make a 7 seater of its own?
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