No doubt Mercedes-Benz is probably wishing the timing was a little better for the launch of its GL-Class SUV. With fuel prices hovering around the $3 mark, 2007 isn”t the most opportune time to bring out a full-size SUV to take on the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Lexus LX 470. Representing the first foray into the large luxury SUV segment by Mercedes, the GL-Class brings together a high level of refinement, available creature comforts and exceptional build quality, setting a new segment standard in the process. It has even managed to soften the blow of $3 fuel by offering a V-6 turbo diesel capable of producing miles-per-gallon numbers in the 20s. The rookie”s got game.
Early on, when identified in spy photos and the like, the GL-Class was thought to update the box-like, military-based G-Class. Mercedes, though, held on to the rough-around-the-edges G-Class, and brought the new SUV to market as an additional offering. Because the GL-Class is leaps and bounds ahead of the G-Class in every category, distancing it from the well-seasoned G-wagon makes solid marketing sense.
The GL-Class is available as the GL320 and the GL450. Typical within the different Mercedes-Benz product classes, these are engine-based designations. The $53,175 GL320 derives its get up and go from a 215-horsepower 3-liter turbo-diesel V-6. Peak torque is a very respectable 398 pound-feet. Stepping up to the more powerful 335-horsepower 4.7-liter V-8 tacks $2,500 to the bottom line. Both versions can be outfitted to tow as much as 7,500 pounds. Mercedes provided a GL450 for this evaluation.
Both GL versions use a seven-speed, driver-shiftable automatic transmission to funnel engine output to a transparent all-wheel-drive system. This is a foul-weather system and not really engineered for aggressive off-roading. For an additional $2,200, an off-road package is available for the GL450. The package includes an adaptive damping system (ADS), front and rear skid plates, and a two-speed electronically controlled transfer case with rear and center locking differentials. Skid plates and ADS are each offered as stand-alone options. For $50, ADS can be added to either GL version. The driver may choose either manual or automatic mode. It adjusts the firmness of the damping at each wheel based on current surface conditions.
From behind the wheel, the driving experience is extremely car-like. Only the seating height provides a clue that this is an SUV. Unlike its large-SUV competitors, the GL-Class doesn”t utilize a body-on-frame truck design. Contributing much to the GL”s passenger-car personality, its unibody design provides a characteristically quiet platform that simply is impossible to achieve by truck-based competitors. Although measuring more than 200 inches in length, the GL doesn”t feel or react to driver input like the large SUV that it is. The steering is responsive, and the ride is boulevard smooth.
With the power-folding third-row seat in place, there is still 14.3 cubic feet of luggage space. With the second- and third-row seats folded flat into the floor, cargo capacity swells to 83 cubic feet. Sure, legroom for third-row passengers is a tad stingy, but adults under 6 feet can fit, and access to the third row is convenient. Side-impact air bags are standard for the front and second-row seats, while head-curtain air bags with rollover sensor protect passengers in all three rows of seats. Other safety features include anti-lock monitored four-wheel disc brakes, traction control, electronic stability control, brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution.
The cabin is exactly what is expected of Mercedes: excellent build quality, leather seats, wood accents and the full array of power accessories. The modular command system provides control of the environmental systems, such as audio and climate, as well as the optional navigation system. Featured with the standard audio system are a glovebox-mounted six-disc CD changer, an input jack for personal music gadgets (tough to find in high-end vehicles) and eight speakers. Ponying up an additional $1,450 upgrades the audio to include Sirius satellite radio, rear-seat controls, and Harmon Kardon surround sound. Depending on the level of self indulgence, the bottom line can escalate with dizzying alacrity. The Premium 1 Package brings with it a $4,500 bottom line boost, but does include the DVD-based navigation system, all the features in the Harmon Kardon audio upgrade, electronic parking assist, power-adjustable steering wheel and a number of other goodies. And there are still more than a half dozen got-to-have option packages such as three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, rear-seat entertainment system, 19-inch wheels, Keyless Go and the sunroof package. My test GL450 finally went over the curb at $71,800.
Show a little restraint, and the GL-Class is competitively priced against others in the segment. Fuel economy isn”t great in the GL450 the Environmental Protection Agency rates it at 15 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. However, despite its 5,300 pounds, it accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in less than seven seconds. The GL320 isn”t nearly as quick, but it trades off some quickness for an EPA rating of 20 mpg in town and 25 mpg on the highway. Whichever way you go, the GL-Class is impressive by every measure well, other than that timing thing. It probably can”t bake either; but when in its 450 guise, it certainly cooks.
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