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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