The Mercedes-Benz M-Class (W163) was available with permanent 4Matic four-wheel drive, which routed torque to all four wheels through all open front, center, and rear differentials. As the result, the seven seater ML-Class was discontinued after the 2005 model year and replaced by the larger GL-Class. Access to the third-row was deemed problematic and the seats were not suitable for large adults. It is a mid-sized body-on-frame SUV with seating for five, or seven with an optional third-row, seven-seat version. 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. International plant in Vance, Alabama concluded, with the very first production M-Class rolling off the assembly line the week of 9 February 1997. In July 1996, construction on the Mercedes-Benz U.S. 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. Prototype testing started with test mules and crash tests using mock-ups in May 1994. The design patents were filed in Germany on 13 July 1994, and in the U.S. A design from Mercedes' Sindelfingen studio was chosen in 1993 and approved by the executive board in February 1994. Design work took place from late 1992 to 1994. While plans were being made overseas, in Germany development continued. By September 1993, a location in the state of Alabama was chosen and construction started in 1994. In March 1993, a search for a location to build a U.S. In May 1992, these plans were abandoned citing "technical problems" and Mercedes-Benz continued on with in-house development from January 1993. 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. 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. Mercedes-Benz proposed a plan to replace the G-Class, which at the time had been in production for 11 years. Mercedes-Benz ML 55 AMG (Europe) Development 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. The "G" is for Geländewagen (German for off land wagon or off-road vehicle) and alludes the long-running G-Wagen. Under this scheme, SUVs use the base name "GL", followed by the model's placement in Mercedes-Benz hierarchy. įrom 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. There has been some confusion surrounding this nomenclature, with many sources erroneously referring to the series as the "ML-Class", including Mercedes-Benz itself. This forced Mercedes-Benz to defer to a double-tiered marketing strategy of "ML" badging (e.g. Nomenclature update from M to GLE Īlthough 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 (e.g. Since April 2015, the M-Class has been renamed to the GLE with the release of the facelifted W166 model, in an effort to harmonize Mercedes-Benz SUV nameplates by aligning it with the E-Class. The second-generation M-Class (W164) 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 19, the W163 M-Class was also built by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, for the European market, before all production moved to the U.S. The first-generation M-Class, designated under the model code W163 is a body-on-frame SUV and was produced until 2004. In terms of size, it is slotted in between the smaller GLC and the larger GLS, the latter with which it shares platforms. The Mercedes-Benz GLE, formerly Mercedes-Benz M-Class (designated with the "ML" nomenclature), is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by the German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz since 1997. Mid-size luxury crossover SUV (2005–present)įront-engine, rear-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive ( 4Matic)
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