Mercedes M-Class goes for round three

Mercedes-Benz is trumpeting the fuel economy and lower emissions as the cornerstone of their latest plush SUV - the third generation M-Class.

Across the latest line-up, there is an average improvement of 25% in fuel economy with the most noteworthy being the ML 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC diesel with a consumption of 47mpg and CO2 emissions of 158g/km, compared to fuel consumption of 31.4mpg and emissions of 224g/km on the predecessor. This previous model had a 3.0-litre V6 but this has been replaced by the more efficient four-cylinder EU6-standard unit which is already used on the S-Class.

The engine has also been put on a diet to help with efficiency. Weight has been reduced by 4.3kg as there is no longer any need for grey cast iron cylinders which used to be pressed into the engine block.

The design has also helped with efficiency and with its more aggressive stance at the front compared to the last model, it is definitely a better looking vehicle. Main design features include front wheel spoilers, a new roof spoiler, side spoilers on the rear window of the ML 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC, better-looking wing mirror housings and aerodynamic light-alloy wheels.

While very few M-Classes ever see a surface any more challenging than the Waitrose car-park, with a few simple switches - and a little knowledge about how to change gear with the 4MATIC transmission - you can indeed take these off-road and on to tougher terrain.

The ON&OFFROAD package offers six transmission modes - the easy-peasy automatic mode for everyday driving, Offroad 1 for light terrain, dirt roads and tracks, Offroad 2 for more challenging territory with hill stretches, Winter for the inevitable slippery, icy roads that we can again look forward to at the end of the year, Sport for more dynamic driving (here’s hoping this one just doesn’t make everything a bit stiff - we look forward to taking it for a test to see if it is better than other Sport modes) and Trailer for better manoeuvrability and safer braking with a trailer.

If one of these babies can take on water crossings and crumbling rocky roads around Jordan’s rugged Dead Sea region, a little British mud and slush should be a piece of cake.









































By Georgia Lewis

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