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The new Mercedes-Benz GL-Class: First class on and off the road
Mercedes-Benz is to unveil a new highlight in the luxury Sports Utility
Vehicle market segment: the GL-Class. The seven-seater premium
off-roader 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 sets another milestone with PRE-SAFE®, the
comprehensive safety system, a first in this market segment.
With its poised, assured presence, the GL-Class leaves you in no doubt
about its aspirations to conquer this competitive market segment. The
distinctive design idiom exudes power and exclusivity. Calm body
surfaces, powerful, wedge-shaped features and striking details give the
impression the luxury off-roader is surging forward even when
stationary. The spacious body (length 5088 mm, width 1920 mm, height
1840 mm) is beautifully proportioned.
The welcoming interior with its top-quality materials
provides passengers with that feel-good atmosphere as only Mercedes
knows how, with more than ample space for up to seven passengers. The
GL-Class offers superb comfort on board - whether you’re just popping
into town, cruising hundreds of kilometres or negotiating rough terrain.
Occupants still enjoy good freedom of movement even on the two
full-sized individual seats in the third row of seats. The distance to
the middle row of seats is 815 mm, with 979 mm headroom for passengers.
If you need fewer seats, the rear individual seats can be stowed
electrically at the push of a button, either individually or in tandem
to provide a completely flat load surface. In the five-seater version,
luggage compartment capacity is 1240 litres – an impressive benchmark
value in the class. The GL-Class can provide up to 2300 litres of load
capacity, with the load compartment measuring 2128 mm in length. In line
with the wide range of applications handled by the versatile
all-rounder, the THER-MATIC automatic climate control system fitted as
standard in the GL 320 CDI provides consistent temperature for all seven
seats both in the depths of winter and on those sweltering summer days.
The versions with V8 engines such as the GL 420 CDI, GL 450 and GL 500
come with the standard-fit multi-zone THERMO-TRONIC system, which offers
even more climatic comfort. Other standard-fit convenience and comfort
appointments include ARTICO man-made leather upholstery combinations,
electrically adjustable front seats and a fixed rear glass roof above
the third row of seats.
Intelligent solutions promote excellent safety
The GL-Class makes full use of the advantages of its unitised body,
combining optimum strength with intelligent lightweight steel design.
The result is excellent passive safety. Combined with the front and rear
deformation zones, the high-strength occupant cell forms an efficient
base for the occupant protection systems that include:
- Adaptive, two-stage airbags for the driver and front passenger
- Sidebags in the front, and in the middle row of seats as an option
- Windowbags across all three rows of seats from the A to the D-pillar
- NECK-PRO crash-responsive head restraints for the driver and front
passenger as an option
- 3-point seat belts on all seven seats
- Seat-belt tensioners and adaptive belt-force limiters for the driver
and front passenger, seat-belt tensioners and belt-force limiters on the
outer seats in the middle row
With the optionally available PRE-SAFE® preventive
occupant protection system, a world first in this market segment,
Mercedes-Benz has raised safety to an even higher level. The system's
most striking feature: passive and active safety systems are networked
with each other. PRE-SAFE® utilises the sensors in the dynamic handling
control systems such as ABS, BAS (Brake Assist) and ESP® and optimises
the protective function of the passive safety components in potential
accident situations. The GL-Class also takes the issue of pedestrian
protection to a new level. The front section includes precisely defined
ample crumple space between the body and the major assemblies
underneath. In conjunction with impact zones that are designed to yield,
this design provides a high degree of protection both for pedestrians
and cyclists.
The GL-Class meets all the requirements of a state-of-the-art, luxury
SUV, or even redefines them on a higher level. Yet the hallmark Mercedes
off-roader genes such as superlative robustness, ruggedness and
long-term durability have not been compromised. It is not for nothing
that the model designation echoes the legendary precursor of all
Mercedes-Benz off-road vehicles – the G-Class. The evergreen off-roader
is now entering its 26th year of production and will continue to be
marketed alongside the new GL-Class.
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 3075 mm) handles
impressively. Handling when pulling a trailer is no less impressive
thanks to the ESP® component TSA (Trailer Stability Assist). TSA defuses
critical driving situations involving a trailer before they become
dangerous by precisely applying the brakes, while AIRMATIC provides
fully automatic level adjustment.
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 ECE 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, increases 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/224-hp V6 engine in the GL 320 CDI, the
range of diesel models includes the new-generation high-performance V8
diesel in the GL 420 CDI, which now has an out-put of 225 kW/ 306 hp and
maximum torque of 700 Nm. Both diesel-powered versions undercut the EU 4
limits and feature a maintenance-free diesel particulate filter. In
addition to the newly developed 5.5-litre, 285-kW/388-hp engine in the
GL 500, launched earlier in the new S-Class, the second unit in this
ultra-modern V8 family of engines is celebrating its world premiere in
the GL-Class. In the GL 450 the 4.6-litre engine develops 250 kW/340 hp.
Both engines also fulfil the stringent EU 4 limits (USA: LEV II
standard).
All GL-Class engine variants come with the standard-fit 7G-TRONIC
seven-speed automatic transmission with DIRECT SELECT. Excellent
performance and low fuel consumption result not just 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 on the other side of the Atlantic and
illustrates the success story of the DaimlerChrysler plant in
Tuscaloosa/Alabama. The birthplace of the GL-Class started production in
1997 as the first Mercedes-Benz plant outside Europe. Around 600 million
US dollars have been invested since 2001 in expand-ing 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.
The world premiere of the new Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
will take place at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in
Detroit in January 2006. U.S. customers will be the first to savour the
delights of the new trendsetter in the spring; European customers will
have to wait until September 2006 for a taste of the versatile
off-roader.
Source: Daimler Chrysler - ©Pictures:
Daimler Chrysler
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