Mercedes-Benz M-Class Sport Utility Named Motor Trends Truck of the Year
30 October 1997
Mercedes-Benz M-Class Sport Utility Named Motor Trends Truck of the Year
MONTVALE, N.J., Oct. 30 -- The 1998 Mercedes-Benz ML320
sport-utility vehicle has been named "Truck of The Year" by MOTOR TREND, a
leading monthly automotive magazine published by Petersen Publishing. The
"Truck of The Year Award" program is a sister event to MOTOR TREND's
prestigious "Car of The Year" and "Import Car of The Year" awards.
To select Truck of The Year, MOTOR TREND editors considered all new or
significantly changed 1998 pickup trucks, sport-utility vehicles and full-size
vans to identify the most significant vehicle of 1998. The editors weighed
such factors as technological advancement, value, performance, liveability and
overall impact on the automotive market.
In naming the Mercedes M-Class Truck of The Year, MOTOR TREND cited the
vehicle's high level of technical innovation, class-leading safety, excellent
driveability, outstanding off-road ability and its exceptional value. "In one
fell swoop, Mercedes has redefined what a sport-utility can be and brought it
to market at a bargain price," MOTOR TREND stated. The magazine sums up its
praise by saying, "Seldom does a vehicle come along that sets so many
benchmarks. Rarer yet is one that does it at a class-humbling price," and
"The M-Class doesn't just raise the bar for SUVs, it sets it atop the World
Trade Center's twin towers."
"The Mercedes M-Class quickly proved a winner with buyers as soon as it
went on sale in September," said Mike Jackson, president of Mercedes-Benz of
North America. "Now, one of the most prestigious auto magazines in the world
has called it a winner, too. We share this award with everyone at Mercedes-
Benz U.S. International in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the M-Class is built in
an all-new production facility."
"Receiving this kind of recognition from MOTOR TREND is a tremendous
credit to all our team members, both at our plant in Alabama and in our
development group in Germany, who have worked so hard to truly create the new
benchmark of sport-utilities," said Mercedes-Benz U.S. International President
and CEO Andreas Renschler. "This honor goes to all of them."
The Mercedes-Benz M-Class sport utility vehicle was introduced to buyers
this fall. Response has been so strong that availability for the U.S. market
has already been set to increase by nearly 20 percent this model year, to
40,000 from an initial plan for 33,000. The public got its first glimpse of
the Mercedes M-Class in the movie "Jurassic Park: The Lost World," which
debuted in theaters in May.
The initial M-Class model is the ML320, which is powered by a new-
generation 215-horsepower, 3.2-liter V6 engine with an innovative three-valve
design. The ML320 features a driver-adaptive electronic five-speed automatic
transmission and a sophisticated full-time four-wheel-drive system that
requires no driver intervention to activate.
The Mercedes-Benz M-Class introduces several firsts to its segment,
including door-mounted side airbags, four-wheel independent suspension and
electronic four-wheel traction control that can redirect torque from any
slipping wheel to the wheels with traction. In fact, even if three wheels
lose grip, the one wheel with traction will keep the M-Class moving.
The ample cargo capacity of the ML320 is made more useful by a design
that's higher and wider than most competitors, and the versatile second seat
row can be configured in a number of ways to maximize room for people, cargo
or both.
The Mercedes-Benz ML320 represents exceptional value in its segment, with
a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $33,950. In addition to the
advanced four-wheel-drive system, four-wheel electronic traction control and
Mercedes-Benz safety innovations, standard ML320 equipment includes climate
control with dust filter, power windows, 80-watt cassette stereo system, six-
way front seats and seating for five. Even loaded with all factory options,
including power glass sunroof, leather interior and CD changer with Bose audio
system, the Mercedes ML320 still has a suggested retail price of less than
$40,000.
The 1998 Truck of The Year award is the second award for a Mercedes from
MOTOR TREND in two years: in 1996, the magazine named the new-generation
Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan line "Import Car of The Year." It was one of many
awards and industry accolades the E-Class went on to collect.
The 1998 Truck of The Year will be featured in the December, 1997 issue of
MOTOR TREND, which will feature the Mercedes M-Class on the cover and will be
on newsstands the first week of November.
SOURCE Mercedes-Benz
