ML-Class II

As the first ML-Class Mercedes fell victim to increasing age, the latest version moved in to bring the company right back into contention as a prestige 4WD manufacturer.

The ML-class is now entirely competitive with its peers on the open road, while it offers the potential of being a more capable occasional off-roader than it was before.

The substitution of a ladder-frame chassis with unitary construction saves weight while allowing a larger, tauter body that takes full advantage of the all-new petrol V6 engine as well as the muscular V8 and the economical V6 turbodiesel.

It looks tough and substantial, yet has been carefully designed to give sedan-like aerodynamic drag figures.

In late 2007 Mercedes-Benz boosted the appeal of its V8-powered ML500 SUV by increasing its displacement and performance with a potent new V8 engine.

It is a 5.5-litre bent eight with 285kW and 530Nm - considerably more than the previous ML500. The engine has already appeared in other tri-star models including the S-class.