First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4MATIC
Thursday, July 28th, 2011The employees in our NJ Mercedes-Benz dealership love selling cars, but when they’re not busy with customers, they’re reading the latest news on new Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The highly anticipated 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4MATIC is expected to arrive sometime this Fall and we couldn’t be more excited. Until then, be sure to stop by our Mercedes-Benz dealership in Union, NJ to check out more M-Class models, as well as other new and used Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Source: MotorTrend
Mercedes would have you believe it practically invented the modern luxury SUV segment back in 1998 with the first-generation M-Class. That may be debatable, but the M-Class is an undisputed major sales success for the brand, selling 1.1 million units worldwide over the past 13 years. For the 2012 model year, the M-Class enters its third generation, and while revisions may appear subtle, they are aimed at keeping this luxo-ute at the top of its game.

Helping to do just that are two new V-6 engines. The base engine is Mercedes’ 3.5-liter direct-injection V-6, which produces 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque — improvements of 13 and 6 percent over previous figures. Fuel economy is rated at 17/22 city/highway mpg, also stronger figures than the outgoing model. An extra $1500 will net buyers Mercedes’ slick new turbocharged 3.0-liter BlueTEC diesel mill, producing 240 horsepower and a substantial 455 lb-ft of torque. That’s money well-spent. While Mercedes claims acceleration figures are similar for the two engines (and towing capacity is identical at 7200 pounds for each), the diesel is the superior fuel-sipper, boasting an EPA rating of 20/25 mpg city/highway and a theoretical range of more than 600 miles per tank (a smaller, European-market, four-cylinder diesel option is said to be capable of roughly 900 miles per tank). At launch, all 2012 M-Class models feature 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive, though a future front-wheel drive V-6 version will be released in late 2012.

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