A minor facelift and an interior upgrade fresh up the big Merc.

Here’s a quick refresher in M-classification. The original Mercedes ML, the W163, launched in 1997, was criticised from the start for crude on-road behaviour and a low-rent interior that made it sit uneasily with the three-pointed star’s status. Still, it found enough buyers around the world to keep it in production for nine years.

Mercedes responded in 2006 with the W164, which is longer and wider than the outgoing M-class. Significantly, it was built on a steel monocoque chassis rather than the body-on-ladder frame of the earlier car. It’s been on sale in India since 2007.

The car you see here is the new W164. it’s not all new. Changes are restricted to a minor facelift and an update of the interiors. Restyled headlights, a more aggressive chin, a bigger lower grille and rectangular exhaust pipe exits are part of the facelift. Minor as these changes are, they instantly make the earlier car look a generation old and this is something Mercedes-Benz is very good at doing. Just look at any of the E-class’s facelifts for proof.

With the ML, the designers have created an aggressive-looking car, with dramatically cut wheel arches protruding from the body and a recessed area between the wheels, not unlike that of an X5’s. There are also AMG-style vents on top of the bonnet, a lightly re-styled bumper, along with more traditional off-roader cues such as in imitation sumpguard and sills. Overall, the effect is extremely positive. It’s also got a very slippery shape (for an SUV) – the drag coefficient is 0.34, making it easier for the 2987cc V6 diesel to push the ML to its 215kph top speed.

This OM 642 motor in the ML320 CDI is similar to the one in the E280 CDI saloon – a 3.0-litre quad cam V6 diesel, making 234bhp an 54.5kgm of torque – sufficient to haul the car to 100kph in a very impressive 9.1 seconds. It’s impressive because the car weighs over two tonnes.

Few will complain as the car’s modest initial acceleration builds up, gathering force with revs and speed. Few will find reason to complain about the gearshifts either – the seven-speed ‘box is typical Mercedes fare – quick enough and without the head-nodding accompanied by regular fast-acting autos. The new steering-mounted paddle shifts are easier to use too, though you shouldn’t bother with overriding a transmission well suited to the authoritative power delivery of the engine.

The ML is suspended by double wishbones at the front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear. Mercedes’ Airmatic air suspension is standard on Indian cars. It features Auto. Comfort and Sport modes, lowers the car automatically by 15mm at high speeds, and raises the touch of a button. The permanent four-wheel-driver system splits the engine’s power 60:40 between the front and rear axles, but the extra control required for off-road driving is managed electronically.

Merc’s 4ETS traction control uses the anti-lock braking sensors on each wheel to juggle the power delivery, while the Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) feature controls descents. Pressing a button on the dashboard puts the ML into off-road mode; it changes the behavior of the automatic gearbox, adjusts the throttle map and switches the anti-lock and traction control to off road use. Mercedes has an optional ‘Off-road pro’ package, which comes with a low range transfer case and locking differentials giving the ML real off-road prowess. Then again, very few Indian customers demand serious off-road capability from their MLs.

On the road, in the suspension’s ‘Comfort’ mode, the ride is slightly lumpy at low speeds, but as soon as you get to moderate and higher speeds, the suspension evens out the road beautifully. Straightline stability is fantastic even at doubleton speeds and that coveted ‘Mercedes-cabin-hush’ is enhanced by the very distant wind and road noise. The engine makes a distant thrum when you accelerate hard, but is otherwise very refined.

Set it in ‘Sport’ mode and you’ll be surprised by the relative ease at which you can hustle the big Merc down a twisty road. While it is no BMW X5, the handling is predictably neutral and the steering is sufficiently accurate and weighty to make this an enjoyable experience. It is only when you try tightening your line mid-corner or scrubbing speed that you realise no amount of electronics can cheat the laws of physics.

Coming to the interiors, what’s new is the steering wheel, the paddleshifts and the bigger screen for the audio system. The front seats are comfortable and wide, the cabin is built out of quality materials, and the colours used are appealing. However, the design isn’t as appealing as that of a BMW or an Audi an there’s that little issue with the black surround for the audio system, which feels downmarket.

At the rear the seats are again comfy and supportive and rear passengers get dedicated air-con vents. This car is a pure five-seater; you’ll have to go for an Audi Q7 if you want the two extra seats.

Forward visibility from the driver’s seat is good for the most part but the tailgate –mounted spare wheel seriously limits rearward visibility. You can order your car without this, but then there’s no place to put the big 19-inch spare wheel. You’ll be forced to stow it away with your luggage in the boot. Run-flats are an option, but we shudder to think of how they might affect the ride. We also can’t understand why Mercedes makes you pay extra for essentials like a convex mirror on the far side rearview mirror and electric steering adjust.

We can understand the 5.1kpl and the 10.5kpl fuel economy figures we got in the city and highway cycles, and given the car’s weight, they did not come as a complete shock. The M-class weighs a staggering 470kg more than a Mercedes-Benz E280 CDI.

Mercedes Ml320 CDI

Autocar Verdict

Tweaks Make The M-Class A Lot More Desirable

The new m-class is nothing truly radical. It looks nice. but there’s nothing to make you look a second time. It seats only five and its off-road potential is largely untapped without you adding options. It doesn’t have the driver appeal of the X5, nor the sheer presence of the Q7. The M-class however scores because it does so well the things that make or break these cars, namely on-road ability, a brilliant, refined diesel engine and a comfortable ride. It’s a finely judged compromise.