20 Facts About Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE, formerly Mercedes-Benz M-Class, is a mid-size luxury SUV produced by the German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz since 1997.

The second-generation Mercedes-Benz M-Class moved to a unibody platform while sharing most components with the GL-Class, which sports a longer body to accommodate third-row seating.

From 2015, with the release of the facelifted W166 third-generation model at the New York Auto Show in April, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class was renamed to GLE as per the revised nomenclature adopted by the brand.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class proposed a plan to replace the G-Class, which at the time had been in production for 11 years.

In May 1992, these plans were abandoned citing "technical problems" and Mercedes-Benz M-Class continued on with in-house development from January 1993.

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Mercedes-Benz M-Class was available with permanent 4Matic four-wheel drive, which routed torque to all four wheels through all open front, center, and rear differentials.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class was the first luxury SUV to feature electronic stability control, a system designed to detect loss of control and instantaneously intervene with selective braking to bring the vehicle back on its intended course.

Furthermore, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class boasted front- and side-impact airbags with advanced occupant detection for the front passenger seat, which helped earn the W163 the highest marks in insurance industry crash tests.

In September 1996, before the vehicle was launched, Mercedes-Benz allowed the producers of the 1997 film The Lost World: Jurassic Park to make use of modified pre-production M-Class SUVs as a way to advertise the W163 when it was launched in 1997.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class revised and updated the W163 in 2001 for the 2002 model year.

The Mercedes-Benz M-Class was named "Best New Sport Utility Vehicle" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year awards.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class extensively publicised the US$600 million spent to update its factory and add manufacturing space for the new R-Class.

New features in the 2006 Mercedes-Benz M-Class include the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic transmission, optional Active Curve-Illuminating Bi-Xenon headlights which "steer" in the path of the vehicle, and an adjustable-height air suspension.

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class got a minor facelift as it debuted at the 2008 New York International Auto Show in March 2008.

At the 2009 New York International Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz M-Class showed their ML 450 Hybrid SUV, which was announced on 8 April 2009.

In 2011, Mercedes-Benz M-Class came out with their flagship SUV model, the Mercedes-Benz M-Class M BlueTec Grand Edition.

In 2006, development began on the next-generation Mercedes-Benz M-Class and spanned over a period of 5 years, a shorter duration than its predecessor.

The newly redesigned Mercedes-Benz M-Class was introduced in pre-production form 10 June 2011 as a 2012 model.

New features in the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class include an updated 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed automatic transmission to provide improved fuel economy, optional adaptive cruise control, active lane departure warning system, and an adjustable-height air suspension .

Mercedes Mercedes-Benz M-Class won first place in the "Luxury Crossover SUV" category and has been named the most ideal vehicle for Americans based on a study undertaken by California-based automotive research and consulting firm AutoPacific.