Mercedes-Benz released the GL-Class to the Australian market at the Sydney Motor Show last Thursday. The all-new premium off-roader is available with both V6 diesel power in the GL 320 CDI and the GL 500 comes equipped the new-generation 285 kW petrol V8. The multi-purpose GL-Class can optionally seat up to seven people.

The GL-Class offers excellent handling both on and off-road and pampers occupants with its extremely spacious accommodation and the comfort of a luxury saloon. The GL-Class also maximises occupant safety using the pre-emptive Mercedes-Benz PRE-SAFE® safety system, a first for a seven-seat SUV.

Outstanding handling on and off-road

4MATIC – the permanent four-wheel drive from Mercedes-Benz – provides the GL-Class with superior handling whatever the conditions. Together with the standard-fit AIRMATIC air suspension, the precise speed-sensitive power steering and the ADS (Adaptive Damper System) also fitted as standard, the imposing GL-Class (wheelbase 3,075 mm) handles impressively.

Special off-road features such as Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR), hill-start assist and off-road ABS assist the GL-Class driver off-road. The Off-Road Pro engineering package, standard on all GL models, means the GL-Class can also handle the most extreme off-road terrain. This includes a two-speed transfer case with a low range ratio and 100 percent differential locks for the transfer case and the rear axle. The modified AIRMATIC air suspension, designed specifically for the more demanding conditions, in-creases the ground clearance to a maximum of 307 millimetres where required and raises the fording depth to 600 millimetres.

Majestic drive systems: new V6 and V8 engines

The ultra-modern engine line-up in all GL-Class models provides superlative drive comfort and compelling performance coupled with superior fuel consumption figures compared with other vehicles in the class. Alongside the 165-kW V6 diesel engine in the GL 320 CDI, Australia will also include the newly-developed 5.5-litre, 285-kW engine in the GL 500, launched earlier in the new S-Class. Both engines also fulfil the stringent EU4 limits.

Both GL-Class engine variants come with the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission with DIRECT SELECT as standard. Excellent performance and low fuel consumption result from the perfect combination of ultra-modern engines with 7G-TRONIC and the friction-optimised powertrain. Another important factor is the comparatively low gross vehicle weight thanks to the unitised body and the excellent aerodynamics (Cd 0.37) for such a large vehicle.

Success story from state-of-the-art production facilities

"Mercedes Quality – Made in the USA" has established itself as the company’s new trademark and illustrates the success story of the DaimlerChrysler plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (USA). The plant started production in 1997 as the first Mercedes-Benz plant outside Europe. Around 600 million US dollars have been invested since 2001 in expanding and constantly modernising the plant; overall the company has invested around 1 billion US dollars. Following the extension of the Tuscaloosa plant in May 2005, its theoretical annual production capacity for all model series stands at 160,000 units. The new GL-Class is now the third model series to be built here, alongside the M-Class and the R-Class.