5
Hungrily eyeing
America's seemingly insatia
ble appetite for large SUVs
with luxury nameplates,
Mercedes has put one
of its own on the menu.
Navigator, Escalade and
Range Rover now have a
new rival in the Mercedes-
Benz GL450.
Despite the alpha
numeric, the GL450 is
motivated by a 4.6-liter,
335-horsepower V8. One
of the new generation of
V8 engines from Mercedes-
Benz, the 4.6 delivers a
7,500-pound towing capac
ity. Power is transmitted
by a seven-speed automatic
transmission and Mercedes’
4MATIC full time all-wheel
drive system. Suspension
is Mercedes' AIRMA'llC
air suspension, which auto
matically lowers the GL for
better aerodynamics and
stability at speeds above 77
mph. The suspension can
also be manually raised up
to three inches above stan
dard ride height for off-road
usage.
Wood, brushed alumi
num and leather comprise
the interior décor. The
driving position is excellent
and comfort over the six
hours we spent with
the GL was abun
dant. On the
road, the GL
is smooth,
quiet and
corners with minimal body
roll. Acceleration is quite
good. Mercedes claims 0 to
60 in 7.4 seconds, and we
have no reason to dispute
this.
The first Mercedes SUV
to offer seven-passenger
capability, the third row
offers very reasonable leg-
room and is fairly easy to
access. The rearmost seats
fold flat at the touch of a
button to enhance cargo
space. A glass roof over
head keeps things airy for
the passengers riding back
there.
So will the GL resonate
with the queens and kings
of bling?
Tlic outgoing Escalade
had a pretty firm lock on
that market and the all-new
Escalade is the bling-iest
one yet. Frankly, the styling
of the GL is pretty conser
vative in comparison to the
Cadillac and the Lincoln,
lite Mercedes has an air of
quiet sophistication about it
that will probably cause the
gold-toothed hip-hop crowd
to overlook it altogether.
If the 2007 Mercedes-
Benz GIA50 docs score a
hit, odds are it will be in
the suburbs.
Frankly, we've always
viewed Saabs with mild
amusement. ITieir styling
always made it kind of dif
ficult to believe Saabs came
front the same part of the
world that gave us sleek
Scandinavian furniture and
household appliances.
Quirky appearance
aside though, the 9-5
goes down the road as if
it were America's Next
Top Model. 'Hie Saab 9-
5 delivers a smooth ride,
accurate steering, powerful
brakes, tenacious corner
ing, and ample acceleration
from its 260-horsepowcr,
turbocharged 2.3-liter, four-
cylinder engine. Producing
258 foot-pounds of torque
from 1,900 rpm, if things
were based on ability alone,
Tyra would be holding the
9-5's picture at the end of
the show.
In all fairness,
the new front end of die
9-5 does have a modicum
of sleekness about it. 'Hie
way the grille and head
lights work together to give
the car a bold face is quite
remarkable. Hie interior
is a model of ergonomic
efficiency, gauges are eas
ily deciphered, controls are
logically arrayed and the
seating is exceptionally com
fortable over long distances.
'Hie 9-5 delivers excellent
visibility and headroom.
And in the 9-5 wagon, that
headroom also translates
to loads (no pun intended)
of cargo space. As a family
ride, the 9-5 combines the
best of all worlds. It’s fun to
drive, carries pretty much
everything you want it to
and it has the added distinc
tion of looking like nothing
else on the road.
Pricing starts at $34 ,1 0 0 I
Pricing starti at
$55,675.
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