2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
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Vehicle Overview
In its third generation, the Mercedes-Benz midsize five-seat M-Class SUV gets more powerful engines and new interior and exterior styling. Competitors include the Audi Q7, Land Rover LR4 and BMW X5.
Mercedes-Benz also markets the ML63 AMG®, a high-performance version of the M-Class powered by a 518-horsepower, twin-turbo V-8. There's also an available all-wheel-drive diesel variant called the ML350 BlueTEC® 4MATIC®.
New for 2013
For 2013, all M-Class models get standard safety equipment like mbrace2™ in-car telematics and collision prevention assist. An optional On- and Off-Road Package is new, bringing a two-stage transfer case, longitudinal locking differential and six transmission settings. On the inside, the driver and passenger seats now have an optional massaging function.
The V-6-powered ML350 is also now available with rear-wheel drive.
Exterior
From the front, the M-Class has a snarly look, and LED daytime running lights are standard. A chrome plate starts just below the radiator grille and extends downward to the front underpinnings. A distinguishing feature of the M-Class has been its flowing C-pillars. To save weight, the hood and fenders are made from lightweight aluminum. Exterior features include:
- 19-inch wheels standard; 19- and 20-inch AMG®-style wheels optional
- Power liftgate
- LED taillights
- Available running boards
- Available bi-xenon headlamps with washers
- Optional tilt-sliding panoramic glass roof
Interior
All M-Class models have a color instrument cluster display, and a 7-inch screen is part of the Mercedes-Benz COMAND® system, which controls various functions like audio and phone settings via a control knob near the middle armrest.
Standard entertainment features include Bluetooth® audio streaming, a CD/DVD player, and auxiliary and USB inputs. Other interior features include:
- Available massaging seats for driver and front passenger
- Standard heated front seats
- Available heated rear seats
- Optional premium surround-sound audio system
- Optional hard-drive-based navigation system
- Available rear-seat entertainment system
Under the Hood
The M-Class steel suspension features AGILITY CONTROL® adaptive damping. The optional AIRMATIC® self-leveling air suspension includes Sport and Comfort modes. Mechanical features include:
- 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 302 horsepower and 273 pounds-feet of torque (ML350)
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 diesel that makes 240 hp and 455 pounds-feet of torque (ML350 BlueTEC®)
- Twin-turbo 4.6-liter V-8 that makes 402 hp and 443 pounds-feet of torque (ML550)
- Available On- and Off-Road Package
- Available all-wheel drive
Safety
The M-Class has nine standard airbags, including a knee airbag for the driver, side curtain airbags and side-impact airbags for both rows of seats. Also standard are ATTENTION ASSIST® driver-drowsiness detection, Collision Prevention Assist, mbrace2™, and PRE-SAFE®, which prepares the cabin for a potential impact or rollover. Optional safety features include:
- Lane departure warning and prevention
- Blind spot warning system
- Adaptive cruise control with automatic braking
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Parking assist with backup camera
2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
Well-appointed, truly capable and exceptionally safe: that's been the calling card of the M-Class ever since it set the standard in 1997 as the world´s first mid-size luxury SUV. Accordingly, in redesigning the M-Class for 2012 there was no reason to go about fixing what needed none of the sort. So while the third-generation M-Class is all new in nearly every way, its essence remains proudly intact.
New for 2012
From the more chiseled exterior and newly reimagined interior, to all-new engines, exceptional on-road comfort and innovative safety, the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class re-sets the standard against which every luxury SUV will be measured—both inside and out. So you might say the very first has proven yet again why it's also the very best.
Design
Outside, the all-new M-Class wears the sharp creases and aggressive, upright grille of the new Mercedes-Benz design language, but retains a fundamentally familiar look. As before, the almond-shaped headlights draw up and to the back, while the signature C-pillar "swoop" continues to grace the distinctive profile. Newly added stylistic touches—such as standard 19-inch wheels, LED tail and daytime running lamps, chrome accents and aluminum roof rails—add contemporary flair to the elegant exterior lines.
Engine
Under the hood, the standard engine remains a 3.5-liter V-6, but with an all-new M-Class comes an all-new engine. Now with direct injection, the new engine produces 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque—increases of 12% and 5% respectively over the previous six-cylinder—while returning even greater fuel economy. More efficiency, not to mention torque, can be had with the newly enhanced, 240-horsepower BlueTEC® Clean Diesel engine. The output of the new M-Class powerplants is channeled by an updated 7G-TRONIC PLUS 7-speed automatic transmission, engineered for greater fuel efficiency. And even the legendary on-road comfort gets better, thanks both to the standard AGILITY CONTROL® suspension that reacts automatically to varying road and driving conditions, and to a new electromechanical steering system that offers more precise control at any speed.
Interior
Perhaps the most conspicuous changes, however, are seen within. Inside the spacious and wholly redesigned cabin, you'll find all the exquisite materials you expect from Mercedes-Benz, including even more real wood trim, as broad slabs of hand-polished Eucalyptus now stretch the entire width of the dashboard. In the center console, the new 7-inch color LCD display has migrated to the top of the dash, sitting in the driver's line of sight to reduce distraction and also providing better views from both front seats—now heated as standard equipment. Bluetooth® audio and hands-free calling, as well as HD Radio and a USB port, also come as standard fare. And in the ample second row—featuring split folding seats— the seatback angle is now adjustable for even greater comfort.
Of course, as foregone a conclusion as a plush interior is in a Mercedes-Benz, so is industry-leading safety. Along with no less than nine air bags and the landmark PRE-SAFE® anticipatory occupant protection system, the 2012 M-Class boasts an array of advanced safety systems, among them standard ATTENTION ASSIST® driver-drowsiness monitoring and adaptive brake technology, plus an available Driver Assistance Package featuring DISTRONIC PLUS® adaptive cruise control with PRE-SAFE® Brake and new Active Lane Keeping and Blind Spot Assist technologies —which can intervene to help keep the vehicle in its lane or avoid another vehicle alongside it, respectively, after issuing an initial warning. Those who want the warnings but not the direct intervention can opt for the new Lane Tracking Package, which includes non-active versions of Blind Spot and Lane Keeping Assist.
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