Design Car Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Mercedes-Benz M-Class Design

The proportions of the new 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class will be familiar and recognizable to those who've owned or shopped the model before.

The wide, angled C-pillar is still there, as it's been since the model's original introduction for 1997, but there's a lot more grace and attention to detail, especially in the nicely detailed front end, where LED daytime running lamps and a chiseled, tightly shaped front airdam sets a more aggressive look. Alongside, the sheetmetal is at a glance both more aggressive yet still very graceful, with carved-out character lines and a shoulder line that continues all the way back to the flanks ending in the most traditional aspect of the design, the tail.

In the U.S., the all new M-Class will be powered by either a 302-horsepower, 3.5-liter gasoline V-6 (ML350), or a reworked 3.0-liter turbo diesel V 6, making 240 horsepower and 455 pound-feet (ML350 Bluetec). Both engines will get a seven-speed automatic transmission, while the M-Class gets a host of fuel-saving measures like smart oil and water pumps and A/C compressor. However, a few of the most mileage-improving measures engine start/stop, a stratified combustion system for the V-6, and an especially fuel efficient new four-cylinder ML250 diesel will remain exclusive to non-U.S. markets.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class Interior

Inside, the instrument panel goes upscale, combining the horizontal orientation seen in recent Mercedes-Benz sedans with a so-called 'power dome' in the middle punctuated by a gentle framework of three gently sculpted, swooping lines that all made cohesive with gently sculpted, swooping lines. Interior materials are substantially upgraded, the automaker says, with items like ventilated leather seats with diagonal stitching, and LED-based light is piped into the beltline of the instrument panel.

The actual interior layout and seating of the M-Class is much like that of the outgoing version, though backseat space has been significantly improved; the seatbacks there can now be adjusted for rake, and a new configuration combines a center armrest with the ski pass-through. One other important difference that drivers will note almost right away is that Mercedes-Benz has finally given in to longtime complaints and relocated the turn signal up to the 10-o'clock position, with the cruise-control stalk below it. There's also been an effort to better label switchgear.