2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 15:44
From the beginning of September, Mercedes wants to put the competition in unrest with the GL on the German market. The chances of this are good, especially with the 420 CDI. The luxury SUV not only impresses with its powerful torque.
By Jürgen Wolff
In the USA he has been running on the highways and off-road for months. We will have the luxury SUV Mercedes GL as a modified European version from the beginning of September. And with a fantastic V8 diesel. The Audi R10 on the racetrack, which won the Le Mans 24 Hours with a V12 TDI, shows how far diesel development has come. And on and off the road, the new four-liter CDI, which Mercedes also installs in the GL super SUV.
No nailing
If you press the start button in the GL 420 CDI, you first notice - almost nothing. Is that supposed to be a diesel? No nailing, no vibrating. Only if you look at the rev counter and perk up your ears after the quiet grumbling under the bonnet will you even notice that something has changed. If you then move the automatic lever on the steering wheel to "D" and press the gas pedal, there is only one thing you will notice that you are sitting in a diesel: the almost irrepressible propulsion. Mercedes gets 225 kW / 306 PS from the 3996 cc of the eight cylinders - and a gigantic torque of 700 Nm at 2200 rpm. And that, the Mercedes engineers admit on their first excursion, has already been artificially slowed down. The drive train would not be able to cope with more in the long run.
But the 700 Nm are also sufficient to give the 2.5-ton heavy ship excellent driving values. The GL 420 CDI accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in just 7.6 seconds. The top speed is 230 km / h. In addition to the variable turbine geometry and a counter-rotating balancer shaft, the common rail high-pressure injection of the third generation with an injection pressure of up to 1,600 bar, an ignition pressure increased to 175 bar, and up to five fuel injections each ensure the power and quiet of the revised bi-turbo V8 Injection process, special hole nozzles and new piezo injectors with precise injection times.
Recommended automatic
The seven-speed automatic goes perfectly with this beefy engine. Whether it's a gentle start in city traffic, a kick-down when overtaking on the country road or a soulful jerking over off-road slopes - the coordination is perfect. And for those who want to determine for themselves when and how the engine has to turn, the manual selection of the gear is almost instantaneous using the buttons on the steering wheel. However: With the 11.8 liters per 100 km calculated by Mercedes as the average consumption, it will be difficult to get by in any case.
The GL built in the USA was developed primarily for the local market; around two thirds of the production should not even be shipped. In the first two months, around 5000 units were sold in the United States. When the GL is then also available at European dealers from September 2nd, it will differ from the US version in a number of not entirely insignificant points. The Europa-GL is tighter, the third row of seats, which is rarely in demand in Europe, is not standard, but only optional.
Off-road package as standard
The off-road package, for which you have to pay extra for the “little” brother ML, is standard on the GL. The equipment makes it a luxurious off-roader that doesn’t pinch even before difficult tasks. The package includes locks for the center differential and the reinforced rear axle as well as the off-road reduction. In addition there is the electronic traction control 4ETS, which increases the drive torque on wheels with good grip and brakes the wheels with less traction. Already on board: all-wheel drive, off-road ABS, the DSR hill descent aid, the adaptive damping system ADS and air suspension that also ensures an adjustable ground clearance between 19.7 and a maximum of 30.7 centimeters.
Good not only in rough terrain, but also when the GL goes for a swim: Mercedes specifies a 60 centimeter fording depth - and a trail with numerous river crossings proves this information lively. The other relevant key data also identify the GL as a real off-roader: the approach angle is 33 degrees at the front and 27 degrees at the rear, the ramp angle of 23 degrees corresponds to that of the Jeep Wrangler - as does the gradeability of 100 percent. The tilt angle is 35 degrees.
Ideal transport car
Most GL buyers will hardly ever go off-road with their luxury liner anyway - and will rather appreciate its capabilities on asphalt. The 3.5 ton trailer load makes it the ideal car for horse and boat owners. More than five meters in length and a wheelbase of over three meters provide plenty of space for passengers and their luggage - and make it a secret S-Class station wagon.
The load space measures 1240 liters with complete five-seater European seating - that's almost twice as much as the classic E-Class station wagon from the same company and about the same as the VW Multivan. The GL has a maximum of 2300 liters of cargo space and a cargo space length of 2.13 meters. Inside there is pure luxury - which is what you can expect at a basic price of 79,460 euros. And it doesn't mean that you're already perfectly happy. Depending on the type of house, the generous basic price includes an equally generous list of additional equipment that can be ordered.
