Official: The new Mercedes-Benz ML

Once a new ML brochure was scanned and published on the Internet, Mercedes-Benz presented the photo gallery of the model. The next generation of Mercedes ML will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this autumn. The innovations include a four-cylinder turbodiesel engine that develops 204 hp from a displacement of 2.1 liters. In 2012, Mercedes-Benz will launch a hybrid version of the ML that will take as a base the diesel engine. The 2.1-liter diesel engine is the entry-level in the ML range software and it’s called 250 Bluetec. The peak torque for that engine is 500 Nm.

The new ML is equipped both with V6 and V8 engines which are more refined than the units they replace and use less fuel. The second engine is 350 Bluetec, a 3.0-liter V6 diesel unit that offers 258 hp and 619 Nm. The respective version needs 7.5 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h and can reach a top speed of 224 km / h. By contrast, the 3.0 version of the BMW X5 develops 245 hp and 540 Nm and accelerates from 0 to100 km / h in 7.6 seconds.

For the fans of gasoline engines, the entry-level version is represented by a 3.5-liter V6 unit that develops 306 hp and 370 Nm. The maximum speed of this model will be 235 km / h, but the sprint from 0 to 100 km / h is slower than that of the diesel version. All engine versions are standard equipped with an all-wheel drive system and the 7G-Tronic Plus transmission. Adaptive shock absorbers are also standard, and customers can opt for a self-adaptive Airmatic suspension, as well as for the Active Curve system that provides a dynamic stabilization of the body roll.

Optional features include the Night View Assist with pedestrian recognition, Speed Limit Assist, lane keeping assistance system, assistance for blind spots, parking assist system and Distronic Plus (adaptive cruise control with radar). Currently there is no information about the AMG version of the ML, nor about the prices of the new SUV from Stuttgart.

[Photos: Mercedes-Benz]