Demand
for Mercedes-Benz’s M-class SUV has far exceeded initial projections, officials
said last night at a press presentation for the substantially revised range
in Leipzig, in the former east Germany.
“When we sat down to consider such a vehicle in 1994, we thought that
30,000 a year was ambitious but we knew the board would not go with that so
we plucked up courage and told them 60,000,” said Mercedes global product
communications head Wolfgang Inhester.
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“So we built the U.S. plant at Tuscaloosa with a capacity for 5,000 more
but, last year, we sold over 106,000.”
Mercedes says that 5,089 M-class were sold in 1997, 62,348 in 1998, 83,977
in 1999 and 106,121 last year. The company subsequently spent a further $US80
million expanding Tuscaloosa and brought an additional plant in Graz, Austria,
on stream which has built over 50,000 units since May 1999.
To the end of 2000, 178,072 M-class have been sold in the USA, the SUV’s key
market, 43,920 in Germany, 15, 213 in the UK, 6,864 in France, 32,686 in the
rest of Europe and 41,821 in other countries.
For the 2002 model year the M-class has had a facelift with new headlights
and bumpers the most obvious change outside while, inside, better quality materials,
a fully automatic climate control system and new audio and sat-nav are highlights.
The V6 petrol 320, five-pot 270CDi diesel and stonking AMG-fettled 5.5-litre
V8 engines remain but the 4.3-litre petrol V8 is replaced by a five-litre unit, and
there is a storming four-litre diesel V8 version using the common rail direct injection
engine first seen in the S-class.
Especially in Europe, with its high petrol prices, the four-litre diesel, though
pricier, leaves one asking why most buyers should bother with the petrol V8.
The 0-100km/h acceleration time is cut by just 0.4 of a second to 8.1 seconds
and top speed falls from 222km/h to 213km/h. Yet diesel is swallowed at a rate
of just 10.9 litres each 100 kilometres compared with the five litre petrol
V8’s 14.6 litre guzzle.
The diesel bent-eight is a tad slower getting off the mark than the petrol
until the turbo kicks in and then it simply spins to the 4,500rpm mark, belting
out 560Nm of torque between 1,700 and 2,600 rpm (440Nm is the petrol’s best),
before changing up. An autobahn cruise of 160km/h is easily possible mere seconds
after leaving the merging lane and, most importantly, this engine sounds like
a ‘proper’ V8. It’s simply superb.
Price is initially ruling the 400CDi out of Britain which jeopardises RHD availability
generally but chances are that once CO2 emissions-conscious company car drivers
eyeing tax bills get to hear of it, demand will force a re-think. The four-litre diesel model does in fact sell in Germany for the same price as the five-litre petrol and, though they admitted it costs more to make and that margin is slimmer, the German marketers would not say by how much.
Though willing to talk of sales statistics, engine performance and detailed
changes, Mercedes officials were also less than forthcoming about warranty claim comparisons
between the U.S.-built M-class and its Austrian-made cousin or other Merc passenger
models. However, early examples were known to be less well built and finished
than Mercedes buyers had been used to and it is understood warranty rates caused
concern.
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Automotive
regional report: North America
Automotive
regional report: Western Europe
