Mercedes-Benz GL

The new Mercedes-Benz GL is smooth yet tough as well as stylish and luxurious to boot, says Ouseph Chacko

The new Mercedes-Benz GL is so big that it even dwarfs the Audi Q7. It’s a full-size SUV with the 3.0-litre BlueEfficiency V6 diesel from the E-class and tyres that can make the moon look like a pebble. It’s the biggest SUV available in India, but how good is it? Read on. STYLE FILE The GL has all the visual appeal of a tarted-up MUV. The flat, square sides and its upright D-pillar are in sharp contrast to today’s dropping lines and curves. It’s livened up by the generous appliqué of chrome — there’s a chrome brush-guard under the front and rear bumpers, on the door handles and the load lip. With its hybrid on/off-road Michelins, it is a more conventional SUV. Being over 5m long, nearly 2m wide and almost 2m tall, the GL could double up as a make-shift tank should war break out. Based on the R-class MPV, the GL has Merc’s 4-MATIC full-time FWD system. It bo-asts of air suspension, which can alter the car’s height thr-ough three stages and 110mm. My test car came with full off-road kit — lockable differentials, a hill descent system and a low-range set of gears. It also packs in a space saver instead of a full-size spare wheel. All this means it weighs a tarmac-crumbling 2505kg. INSIDE STORY The GL’s cabin is that of a typical Merc off-roader, which is a good thing. Build quality is excellent and the materials used are faultless. However, chocolate brown as the colour of the interiors might not suit all tastes. That aside, this is a hugely practical and spacious cabin. There’s full electric adjustment for the seat and steering wheel. The seat itself is comfortable and the controls are pretty straightforward. The display between the dials tells you which off-road mode you are in. The wide wheelbase means the GL’s middle row is very spacious. There’s plenty of leg-room, headroom is good and it can seat three comfortably. There’s good thigh support and the high seats allow you a good view of the outside world. Move over to the third row and you’ll find a genuinely usable set of seats. The D-pillar doesn’t constrain headroom and the length of the car means you don’t have to crouch in the last row. There’s decent boot space with the seats up, and a cave as big as Batman’s with the seats down. This Merc is very well equipped — it’s got electric everything. The third row folds and pops up at the push of a button, the tailgate closes and opens electrically and even the butterfly third row windows are electrically operated. Then there’s the COMAND system, a reverse camera, twin sunroofs, DVD screens for the middle row with cordless headphones and heated/ cooled front seats. UNDER THE HOOD The badge says 350 but the engine actually displaces 2987cc. The OM642 motor in the GL is similar to the one in the ML350 CDI, so it has a torque curve that peaks at a low 1600rpm, staying flat till 2800rpm. Despite the weight, the GL’s performance is sprightly but doesn’t feel particularly quick. It hits 100kph in 10.2 seconds — not bad considering its size. DRIVER’S DEAL The Mercedes-Benz GL bu-ilds speed in a linear manner and without any drama and so doesn’t feel spectacular in the power department. On the road it’s reasonably quick although overtaking is sometimes hampered by the seven-speed automatic gearbox’s lethargic downshifting. A quick tug on the left paddleshift sorts this out but not if you’ve got your foot on the accelerator. That said, the gearbox is best left in ‘Drive’ mode. The GL’s size dictates everything it does. In town, it’s a bit nerve-wracking to drive through tight traffic, but not much more than a Q7. It’s easy to reverse too, thanks to the reverse camera and the big glass area. In ‘comfort’ mode, the ride is fantastic. It absorbs most bumps and traverses over broken patches with little complaints. But switch to ‘sport’ mode and the ride turns a touch lumpy. Body movements are more tightly checked in this mode and the electronic nannies cut in if they think you’re getting carried away. The steering is accurate and has sufficient weight, but doesn’t have the finesse of a BMW. However, the GL’s brakes inspire tremendous confidence. Take it off-road and the only thing that limits the GL is its size. But give it space and it’ll act like a mountain goat. Axle articulation is first rate and even without the locked differentials, the distribution of power is easily done, so it can drive along hassle free. At 6.0kpl in the city and 10.5kpl on the highway, the GL’s fuel efficiency figures aren’t too bad. And along with its massive 100-litre tank, it has an incredible average range of 800km. FINAL VERDICT The Mercedes-Benz GL makes a brilliant case for itself. It’s got talent, behaves respectably on the road and is great off it. Its biggest advantage is that it is a genuine seven-seater like no other. It’s got huge presence, plenty of equipment and, if you can ignore the price for a second, is quite practical too. Yes, it could use a bit more power, there’s that small issue with the downshifts, and the slab-sided looks are more traditional than avant garde. But these are things you can live with. All you need to figure out is if you’d like to pay that much money for it. spec check mercedes-benz gl Price: Rs 91.25 lakh (on-road, Mumbai) Engine: Diesel/ front, longitudinal/ 6-cyls in-vee, 2987cc Power: 224bhp at 3800rpm Torque: 52kgm at 1600-2800rpm Gearbox: 7-speed auto-matic Weight: 2505kg Suspension (F/R): Independent, double wishbone, air springs, torsion bar stabiliser/ independent, four-link, air springs, torsion bar stabiliser Brakes (F/R): Ventilated discs