First generation (W163; 1997–2005) Mercedes-Benz M-Class

pre-facelift mercedes-benz ml 320



mercedes-benz ml 55 amg



mercedes-benz ml 55 amg

mercedes-benz proposed plan replace g-class, @ time had been in production 11 years. joint agreement mitsubishi motors develop , produce sports-utility vehicle made in 1991 , confirmed publicly june. plans made base on montero/pajero platform, 1 of them being badged mercedes-benz , other mitsubishi. in may 1992, these plans abandoned citing technical problems , mercedes-benz continued on in-house development january 1993. in march 1993, search location build u.s. manufacturing plant began. september 1993, location in state of alabama chosen , construction started in 1994. while plans being made overseas, in germany development continued. design work took place late 1992 1994. design mercedes sindelfingen studio chosen in 1993 , approved executive board in february 1994. design patents filed in germany on 13 july 1994, , in u.s. on 13 january 1995. prototype testing started test mules , crash tests using mock-ups in may 1994. first functional prototype s crash test took place in february 1995, full testing run march 1995 december 1996 in various climates , regions of world. pilot production began in may 1996. in july 1996, construction on mercedes-benz u.s. international plant concluded, first production m-class rolling off assembly line week of 9 february 1997.

mercedes-benz launched first generation w163 series m-class on 19 february 1997, in united states 1998 model year, sales beginning september. mid-sized body-on-frame suv seating five, or 7 optional third-row seat. m-class first luxury suv feature electronic stability control, system designed detect loss of control , instantaneously intervene selective braking bring vehicle on intended course. furthermore, m-class boasted front- , side-impact airbags advanced occupant detection front passenger seat, helped earn w163 highest marks in insurance industry crash tests.

the mercedes-benz m-class (w163) available permanent 4matic four-wheel drive, routed torque 4 wheels through open front, center, , rear differentials. system used two-speed dual range borgwarner 4409 transfer case reduction gearing, , mercedes new four-wheel electronic traction system (4-ets). 4-ets simulated 3 differential locks on 3 open differentials, via aggressively braking 1 or more spinning wheels.

four-wheel, electronic traction system said perform excellent snow , heavy off road use.

manufactured in tuscaloosa, alabama, in united states, m-class launched in north american market first ml 320. ml 320 sold internationally, 320 suffix alluding 3.2-litre v6 engine. entry-level, manual transmission-only ml 230, fitted 2.3-litre inline-four available in europe launch in march 1998 until 2000. launch in 1998, european markets received ml 270 cdi 2.7-litre inline-five turbodiesel engine. unit made available in australia in 2000 , continued on in w163 until being replaced upon release of w164 m-class in 2005.

later, in 1998, more powerful ml 430 became available newly introduced mercedes-benz 4.3-litre v8. followed february 1999 debut of 2000 ml 55 amg, featuring 5.4-litre v8 engine made amg, modified bodywork, , other performance features.

in september 1996, before vehicle launched, mercedes-benz allowed producers of 1997 film lost world: jurassic park make use of modified pre-production m-class suvs way advertise w163 when launched in 1997. result, mercedes-benz advertisement appears before film on original vhs copies of film. jeff goldblum, star of film, received complimentary ml 320 mercedes-benz result of tie-in. 3 versions used in movie, of 2 copies of each built. 2 displayed @ universal studios in orlando, florida, there 1 @ mercedes-benz museum in stuttgart, germany, , 1 @ visitor center @ m-class factory in alabama.

awards

the ml 320 motor trend magazine s truck of year 1998 , voted 1998 north american truck of year @ north american international auto show, detroit, in january 1998. received world car award in march 1999, voted international jury of automotive journalists in geneva. despite accolades, mercedes-benz received considerable criticism respect substandard quality of w163. quality improved on years, after facelift in 2001 2002 model year. daimlerchrysler spent us$600 million on improvements @ alabama factory before launching second generation ml in 2005.

facelift

mercedes-benz revised , updated w163 in 2001 2002 model year. styling updates involved fitment of new head- , tail-lamp lenses, front , rear bumpers, new alloy wheels on variants, relocation of side turn signals fenders side-view mirrors, , various interior trim changes. @ same time, ml 430 replaced 5.0-litre v8-powered ml 500 , new 4.0-litre v8 turbodiesel ml 400 cdi became available in europe. following year, in 2002, mercedes-benz launched ml 350 fitted 3.7-litre v6 engine. ml 350 replaced ml 320 in markets, supplemented in others.

the w163 available seven-seat version, 2 seats in third row. access problematic , seats not suitable large adults 7 seater ml-class discontinued after 2005 model year , replaced larger gl-class.

the previous popemobile based on w163 series ml 430 , has been in service since july 2002. volkswagen had offered build new vehicle based on touareg, pope benedict xvi opted continue using predecessor s mercedes-benz-manufactured vehicle.