GO
GoAutoLogo
MENU

Make / Model Search

Car reviews - Mercedes-Benz - M-class - ML320 CDI 5-dr wagon

The Car

24 Jan 2007

DIEHARD four-wheel drive enthusiasts would suggest that to go anywhere seriously off the beaten track, only a torque-laden turbo will do – and Mercedes-Benz has obliged with its new $82,900 ML320 CDI.

Slotting the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 between the $79,900 ML350 and $116,900 ML500 petrol variants, Mercedes-Benz expects the oil-burner to account for up to 40 per cent of all ML sales, many of which will derive from city dwellers lured to diesels because of their outstanding fuel economy and sophisticated technology.

This is particularly so in the ML, which weighs more than two tonnes but sips fuel like a parsimonious Presbyterian and sounds like its V6 petrol sibling.

According to Mercedes figures, the turbo-diesel ML will use less fuel than 10L/100km – Mercedes quotes a highway cycle of 7.5L/100km and a city cycle of a still-commendable 12.7L/100km.

Like its petrol siblings, the CDI model utilises Mercedes’ new seven-speed automatic transmission and has a comprehensive list of standard equipment wrapped in a stylish new body which is bigger and roomier than the previous version, but weighs less than the previous 2.7-litre CDI.

The diesel enjoys the same equipment levels as the petrol V6 and runs the same suspension setup, which comprises double wishbones up front and a sophisticated four-link rear with anti-squat and anti-dive characteristics.

Like the V6 petrol engine, the CDI has full-time four-wheel drive, 17-inch alloys (with a full-size spare), electronic stability control, downhill speed regulation, traction control, parking sensors, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, dual front, side and curtain airbags, climate-control air-conditioning, six-disc CD stereo, cruise control, split-fold rear seats and multi-function steering wheel.

Also used on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the turbo-diesel is a third-generation common-rail direct-injection unit with the latest in piezo injectors. In the ML, it develops 165kW at 3800rpm and 510Nm from 1600rpm, endowing the vehicle with a top speed of 215km/h and claimed 0-100km/h acceleration of 8.6 seconds.

The V6 turbo-diesel replaces the previous in-line five-cylinder engine of the ML270 CDI but because of its lightweight, compact construction it is about the same weight as the fi ve-cylinder engine.

An Off-Road Pro package is available for a whopping $10,150 and utilises height-adjustable Airmatic air suspension with a two-speed transfer case and differential locks.

Other options include an $8000 "luxury pack", $1500 "chrome pack" and a $9980 "sports pack".

Did you know?

The prestigious US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named the Mercedes-Benz M-class its Top Safety Pick 2007 – the best buy when it comes to safety.

Click to share

Click below to follow us on
Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

GoAuto can help you buy a new M-class

Customer Terms and Conditions – New Car Lead enquires

Agreement

This is an agreement between GoAutoMedia Pty Limited ACN 094 732 457 of PO Box 18, Beach Road, Sandringham, VIC, 3191 (“we/us”), the owner and operator of the GoAuto.com.au website (“the website”) and the person wanting GoAuto.com.au to provide them with a lead for the purchase of a new car (“you”).

By completing a New Car Lead Enquiry, you agree to the terms and conditions and disclaimers and acknowledge the policies set out below.

Terms and Conditions

  • In order for us to effect a lead you must you must complete a New Car Lead Enquiry (“Enquiry”).
  • We will call you as soon as possible after you complete the Enquiry and certainly no later than the next business day. When we call, we will discuss with you your new car requirements.
  • You consent to our passing on the Enquiry and your requirements to an appropriate authorised motor car dealer as a lead.
  • We will contact you again in approximately eight days following your initial enquiry to check on the progress of the Enquiry.
  • While we will provide the dealer with the Enquiry and details of your new car requirements, we take no responsibility for what happens after passing on that material as a lead.
  • You acknowledge that we are a new car information service providing new car editorial information, pictures and prices to our customers as a guide only. Any new car prices published on the website are the manufacturers’ recommended retail prices and do not include delivery charges and on-road costs. Any authorized motor car dealer to which we pass on your Enquiry as a lead will provide you with full details of the price at which the vehicle will be sold to you.
  • You acknowledge that we do not sell motor vehicles. Any sale of a new car to you by a dealer after we have passed on your Enquiry to that dealer as a lead, is a sale by that dealer not by us.

Privacy Policy– New Car Lead Enquires

  • We take privacy very seriously. We understand that you will only complete an Enquiry if you can trust us to protect your personal information and use it appropriately. Our policy is to ensure that the personal information collected when you make an Enquiry is only used for the purposes of connecting you with an authorised motor car dealer.
  • We do not on-sell information collected from you or any other customer.
  • From time to time, we may email you with information or promotions that may be relevant for car buyers. You will continue to receive communications from us unless you tell us that you do not want to receive any advertising or promotional information in the future by unsubscribing from these communications.
close
* Denotes required field
** Australian inquiries only

Motor industry news

GoAutoNews is Australia’s number one automotive industry journal covering the latest news, future and new model releases, market trends, industry personnel movements, and international events.

Catch up on all of the latest industry news with this week's edition of GoAutoNews
Click here