Mercedes-Benz GLE
The Mercedes-Benz GLE, formerly Mercedes-Benz M-Class, is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by the German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz since 1997. In terms of size, it is slotted in between the smaller GLC and the larger GLS, the latter with which it shares platforms.
The first-generation M-Class, designated with the model code W163, is a body-on-frame SUV and was produced until 2004. The second-generation M-Class moved to a unibody platform while sharing most components with the GL-Class, which sports a longer body to accommodate third-row seating.
For a short time, between 1999 and 2002, the W163 M-Class was also built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, for the European market, and the W166 M-Class from 2011 to 2015 was built in Stuttgart for the European and Australian market, before all production moved to the U.S. plant near Vance, Alabama in 2015 with the release of the facelifted W166 model, in an effort to harmonize Mercedes-Benz SUV nameplates by aligning it with the E-Class.
Nomenclature update from M to GLE
Although grouped under the "M-Class" naming banner since the first launch, BMW, who sells M models such as the M3, objected to the car being badged "M" with the three-digit engine level afterwards. This forced Mercedes-Benz to defer to a double-tiered marketing strategy of "ML" badging under an M-Class umbrella. There has been some confusion surrounding this nomenclature, with many sources erroneously referring to the series as the "ML-Class", including Mercedes-Benz itself.From 2015, with the release of the facelifted W166 third-generation model at the New York Auto Show in April, the M-Class was renamed to GLE as per the revised nomenclature adopted by the brand. Under this scheme, SUVs use the base name "GL", followed by the model's placement in Mercedes-Benz hierarchy. The "G" is for Geländewagen and alludes the long-running G-Wagen. This is followed by the letter "L" that acts as a linkage with the letter "E"—the GLE being the SUV equivalent to the E-Class.
First generation (W163; 1997)
Development
Mercedes-Benz proposed a plan to replace the G-Class, which at the time had been in production for 11 years. A joint agreement with Mitsubishi Motors to develop and produce a sports-utility vehicle was made in early 1991 and was confirmed publicly that June. Plans were made to base it on the Montero/Pajero platform, with one of them being badged as a Mercedes-Benz and the other a Mitsubishi. In May 1992, these plans were abandoned citing "technical problems" and Mercedes-Benz continued on with in-house development from January 1993.In March 1993, a search for a location to build a U.S. manufacturing plant began. By September 1993, a location in the state of Alabama was chosen and construction started in 1994.
While plans were being made overseas, in Germany development continued. Design work took place from late 1992 to 1994. A design from Mercedes' Sindelfingen studio was chosen in 1993 and approved by the executive board in February 1994. The design patents were filed in Germany on 13 July 1994, and in the U.S. on 13 January 1995. Prototype testing started with test mules and crash tests using mock-ups in May 1994. First functional prototype's crash test took place in February 1995, with full testing run from March 1995 to December 1996 in various climates and regions of the world. Pilot production began in May 1996.
In July 1996, construction on the Mercedes-Benz U.S. International plant in Vance, Alabama concluded, with the very first production M-Class rolling off the assembly line the week of 9 February 1997.
Launch
Mercedes-Benz launched the first generation W163 series M-Class on 19 February 1997, in the United States for the 1998 model year, with sales beginning that September. It is a mid-sized body-on-frame SUV with seating for five, or seven with an optional third-row, seven-seat version. Access to the third-row was deemed problematic and the seats were not suitable for large adults. As a result, the seven seater M-Class was discontinued after the 2005 model year and replaced by the larger GL-Class.The Mercedes-Benz M-Class was available with permanent 4Matic four-wheel drive, which routed torque to all four wheels through open front, center, and rear differentials. The system used a two-speed dual range BorgWarner 4409 transfer case with a planetary center differential that provides a 48% front/52% rear default torque split. The transfer case featured reduction gearing, and Mercedes' new Four-wheel Electronic Traction System. 4-ETS simulated three differential locks on all three open differentials, via aggressively braking one or more spinning wheels.
The M-Class was the first luxury SUV to feature electronic stability control, a system designed to detect loss of control and instantaneously intervene with selective braking to bring the vehicle back on its intended course. Furthermore, the M-Class featured front- and side-impact airbags with advanced occupant detection for the front passenger seat, which helped earn the W163 the highest marks in insurance industry crash tests.
Manufactured in Vance, Alabama, in the United States, the M-Class launched in the North American market first as the ML 320. The ML 320 was sold internationally, with the "320" suffix alluding to the 3.2-liter V6 engine. An entry-level, manual transmission-only ML 230, fitted with a 2.3-liter inline-four was available in Europe from launch in March 1998 until 2000. From launch in 1998, European markets also received the ML 270 CDI with a 2.7-liter inline-five turbodiesel engine. This unit was made available in Australia in 2000 and continued on in the W163 until being replaced upon the release of the W164 M-Class in 2005.
Later, in 1998, the more powerful ML 430 became available with the newly introduced Mercedes-Benz 4.3-liter V8. This was followed by the February 1999 debut of the 2000 ML 55 AMG, featuring a 5.4-liter V8 engine made by AMG, modified bodywork, and other performance features.
File:Mercedes-Benz ML 320 Jurassic Park IMG 0887.jpg|thumb|Mercedes-Benz ML 320 used in The Lost World: Jurassic Park in the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
In September 1996, before the vehicle was launched, Mercedes-Benz allowed the producers of the 1997 film The Lost World: Jurassic Park to make use of modified pre-production M-Class SUVs as a way to advertise the W163 when it was launched in 1997. As a result, a Mercedes-Benz advertisement appears before the film on original VHS copies of the film. Jeff Goldblum, the star of the film, received a complimentary ML 320 from Mercedes-Benz as a result of the tie-in. Three versions were used in the movie, two of which of each were built. Two are displayed at the Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, there is one at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, and one at the Visitor Center at the M-class factory in Alabama.
Awards
The ML 320 was Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year for 1998 and was voted the 1998 North American Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show, Detroit, in January 1998. It also received the World Car Award in March 1999, voted by an international jury of automotive journalists in Geneva. Despite the accolades, Mercedes-Benz received considerable criticism with respect to the substandard quality of the W163, resulting in the car being nicknamed Alabama Trashcan. Quality improved over the years, especially after the facelift in 2001 for the 2002 model year. DaimlerChrysler spent US$600 million on improvements at the Alabama factory before launching the second generation ML in 2005.Engines (1997–2005)
Facelift
Mercedes-Benz revised and updated the W163 in 2001 for the 2002 model year. Styling updates involved the fitment of new head- and tail-lamp lenses, front and rear bumpers, new alloy wheels on most variants, the relocation of the side turn signals from the fenders to the side-view mirrors, and various interior trim changes. At the same time, the ML 430 was replaced by the 5.0-liter V8-powered ML 500 and a new 4.0-liter V8 turbodiesel ML 400 CDI became available in Europe. The following year, in 2002, Mercedes-Benz launched the ML 350 fitted with a 3.7-liter V6 engine. The ML 350 replaced the ML 320 in some markets, but supplemented it in others.The previous Popemobile was based on a W163 series ML 430 and has been in service since July 2002. Volkswagen had offered to build a new vehicle based on the Touareg, but Pope Benedict XVI opted to continue using his predecessor's Mercedes-Benz-manufactured vehicle.
Safety
Euro NCAP
IIHS
ANCAP
Second generation (W164; 2005)
In 1999, development on a successor to the W163 began under the codename "W164" and spanned a period of six years. First design drafts appeared in 2000 with the first models in scale 1:4, and in 2001 three full-sized models were prepared. In 2002 the design styled by Steve Mattin under Peter Pfeiffer was chosen and approved by the executive board. Design patents were filed in Germany on 10 June 2003 and in the U.S. on 25 July. Prototype testing was conducted throughout 2003 and 2004, concluding in early 2005. The redesigned M-class was introduced in April 2005 as a 2006 model after a showing at the North American International Auto Show in January. It was almost entirely new, with a more sporting, aerodynamic look. The coefficient of drag was reduced to 0.34. Mercedes-Benz made the new M-Class 71 mm larger, 150 mm longer and 5 mm lower than the first model. The M-Class was named "Best New Sport Utility Vehicle" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year awards.Mercedes-Benz extensively publicised the US$600 million spent to update its factory and add manufacturing space for the new R-Class. According to early automotive press reports, the 2006 M-Class vehicles demonstrated vast improvements in quality.
The W164 platform used for the new M-Class is shared with the new GL-Class and is a unibody type rather than the former body-on-frame used by the M-Class vehicles produced from 1998–2005. The X164 GL-Class, a longer seven-seater version of the W164 platform, is also available.
New features in the 2006 M-Class include the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission, optional Active Curve-Illuminating Bi-Xenon headlights which "steer" in the path of the vehicle, and an adjustable-height air suspension. The manual transmission has been dropped. Permanent 4Matic four-wheel drive remained, with one-speed transfer case, center limited-slip differential and four-wheel electronic traction system. In most countries except the U.S., an Off-Road Pro package with center and rear differential locks, 4-ETS, two-speed transfer case with reduction gearing, and adjustable ground clearance was available as an option increasing the original fording depth from 500 mm to 600 mm.
The AMG version of the W164, the ML 63 AMG, was introduced at the 2006 North American International Auto Show as a limited edition 2007 model. It features a 6.2 L M156 V8 engine producing and that is handcrafted in Germany. The engine is added to an AMG SpeedShift 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission. The 2006 ML 63 AMG can accelerate from in 4.8 seconds, or from in 5.0 seconds. These features made the ML 63 AMG the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 SUV in the world at the time of its launch.