2012 Mercedes-Benz M-class still old as ever

The exterior appears sleeker and more sculpted, while the most obvious difference in the interior is a switch from round air vents to rectangular, the former now reserved for Mercedes’ sports-car lineup. (It’s worth noting just how similar the instrument layout is to the Grand Cherokee’s.) A big increase in quality and design can be […]

The exterior appears sleeker and more sculpted, while the most obvious difference in the interior is a switch from round air vents to rectangular, the former now reserved for Mercedes’ sports-car lineup. (It’s worth noting just how similar the instrument layout is to the Grand Cherokee’s.) A big increase in quality and design can be felt inside, according to Car and Driver Magazine. A large swath of either wood or metal-look plastic sits before the front passenger, while the driver gets a meaty-feeling steering wheel flanked by new stalks for the transmission, wipers, and cruise control. Attractive open-pore wood is on the options sheet, as is a package that includes ambient lighting.

At launch, Mercedes will offer two familiar six-cylinders, while the company’s new twin-turbo 4.7-liter V-8 will follow later. Both V-6 models will be badged ML350. The direct-injection 3.5-liter gas engine produces 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, increases of 34 and 15 over the outgoing port-injection gas V-6, and should see economy increase 2 mpg in both the EPA city and highway cycle for estimated ratings of 17/22; the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel in the BlueTec is now good for 240 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque, up 30 hp and 55 lb-ft, and will get an estimated 2-mpg city mpg bump for ratings of 20/25. A switch from pressed-in cylinder liners to a spray-on coating in the diesel reduces both weight and friction. Either engine comes coupled to a seven-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive. Mercedes claims curb weights for the new model will be comparable to those of the outgoing ML, despite added content.