2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Review

Clean diesel model joins lineup. by Staff, New Car Test Drive

Overview


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The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is the company's biggest SUV, a seven-passenger, full-size sport utility vehicle. Large and luxurious, the GL is built in the United States alongside the M-Class mid-size SUV and the R-Class touring wagon. The GL is designed to appeal to Mercedes-Benz sedan owners who want the off-road, seven-passenger, and 7,500-pound towing capabilities that come with a full-size SUV along with the luxury and safety features they have in their other Mercedes vehicles.

For 2009, the new GL320 BlueTEC, an advanced clean diesel that meets the most stringent 50-state emissions limits, joins the GL-Class, delivering an EPA-estimate 23 mpg on the highway. Yet properly equipped, the GL320 BlueTEC can tow up to 7,500 pounds. (The BlueTEC replaces the previous GL320 CDI.)

All 2009 GL-Class models feature a new standard COMAND integrated accessory control system, which features a 6.5-inch color display screen; in-dash, six-disc DVD / CD changer; and Bluetooth interface. And for safety, the GL adds Mercedes' Pre-Safe system, which can sense an impending collision before it happens and take measures to protect occupants during those valuable seconds before impact.

While their names sound similar, don't confuse the GL-Class with the venerable G-Class or Gelandewagen. The GL shares nothing in common with the utilitarian G-Class. The GL-Class shares its basic platform with the ML-Class and R-Class.

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is large and capable off road yet feels surprisingly car-like on the road. That car-like feeling comes in part because it is built around a unibody architecture instead of traditional body-on-frame construction. Mercedes says the GL is strong enough to tow a 30-foot boat, a trailer carrying three horses, or a large travel trailer, but verify tongue weights and ratings before making decisions. All GL-Class models come with a seven-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. All seat up to seven people.