Road TestCar reviews - Mercedes-Benz - GL-Class - 320 CDI 5-dr wagonMercedes-Benz modelsResearch Mercedes-Benz OverviewBig, brawny and pricey, Benz's go-anywhere GL is also quick and frugal in CDI form27 Apr 2007 By LUC BRITTEN NO, it isn’t anything like the G-Wagen we thought it might be when the idea of a new, seriously off-road Mercedes-Benz was mooted. The new GL-class is really just an extended ML-class with a little more of everything that an extra 300mm of body, as well as an added 200kg of weight, can bring. The surprising thing about the new GL is just how capable and un-intimidating it feels to the driver, and how economical – in the GL320 form – it actually can be. Zero to 100km/h in comfortably less than 10 seconds and an average fuel consumption of 9.5L/100km show just how good today’s turbo-diesel are getting. Add to this the standard fitment of the Benz Off-Road Pro Pack – which includes a dual-range transmission – and air suspension that can lift the GL-Class high enough to provide a 600mm river-crossing depth, and you have a remarkable luxury all-rounder that seems to cover just about all the bases. Model release date: 1 November 2006 to 1 March 2011 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen Previous modelIf there was a true predecessor to the new GL-class Mercedes, it’s the G-Class jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and Steyr Puch in Austria and launched to the world in 1979, not always with a Mercedes-Benz badge. The G-Wagen came to Australia as a Mercedes for a brief run during the 1980s as a top-end challenger for the Range Rover but lacked the sophistication – if not the off-road readiness - of the British vehicle. Angular in style and relatively austere, the G-Wagen used a Mercedes-Benz engine and three lockable differentials to go anywhere the driver was game. A plan to import a batch of hi-po G55 AMGs last year failed to eventuate. |
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