By EWAN KENNEDY
4 December 2006

Mercedes’ eagerly awaited GL-Class off-roader has finally arrived in Australia. Note that we say ‘off-roader’, because this big Merc wagon is the real thing. It’s not a people mover with rugged looks and an extra couple of differentials, this is a genuine 4WD.

Mercedes GL-Class has variable ground clearance by way of sophisticated air suspension, a complex all-wheel-drive system that includes a two-speed transfer case and a toughened monocoque body that can cope with rugged off-road work.

Perhaps you wouldn’t put the Merc GL-Class in the same division as a Jeep Wrangler or Toyota 70 series in really harsh off-road conditions – but it comes a lot closer than you might imagine given its handsome looks and upmarket background.

Even better news for many prospective buyers is that this Mercedes can be a genuine seven-seater. Too many 4WDs with an extra row of seats are disappointing in their interior usefulness, with back seats that are strictly for small children, and severely limited luggage space behind the seats.

Not so the big Mercedes GL-Class. You can carry seven adults in comfort, though six and a child in the centre position of the second row would probably be a better bet. Yet there's still room for a couple of good-sized suitcases and some smaller bags when all seven seats are in use.

Mind you, this excellent interior space has been achieved by making this a large vehicle that will make it a liability in tight car parks. And you had better get out your tape measure and check your garage is at least 5.1 metres long before you even consider this big Merc.

The sheer size of the GL-Class will intimidate some drivers, though the engineers have given it a respectable turning circle of 12.1 metres so it’s easier to manoeuvre than you might imagine.

That turning circle was invaluable in some pretty serious off-road driving we did on Fraser Island during the press launch of the GL-Class to Australia. The big car made light work of high road centres, steep ascents and pockmarked descents on the famed sandy island. Helped not only by the aforementioned clearance and 4WD system, but also by an array of electronic traction aids that could prove almost bewildering at first, but to which we eventually became accustomed.

Incidentally, the Mercedes GL-Class is also offered as a five-seater for those who like the convenience of a huge boot.

Styling of the big Mercedes wagon is on the macho side, which is no bad thing in this market segment. There's no doubt who builds the vehicle thanks to the dominant three-pointed star on the prominent grille that fronts up a big bonnet. The cabin area is no-nonsense large and the tail-end styling is impressive in that it gives the GL a long roof and square back (two essential features in a practical wagon in our opinion), yet does so without the rear end looking boxy or bulky.

Pricing is kind of weird. The lower-cost model, the Mercedes GL320 CDI turbo-diesel V6 comes in at a very reasonable $103,900; then there's an enormous $43,000 leap to the GL500 petrol V8.

Mercedes makes no secret of the fact that it would like to suck some buyers up from the top end Japanese models, so has negotiated very hard with the German head office on the pricing of the turbo-diesel.

You do get a fair bit more gear with the $146,900 petrol GL-Class. To start with the engine isn’t the 5.0-litre you might expect from the title, rather it’s a 5.5-litre unit that’s close to AMG in its specifications, putting out an impressive 285 kilowatts and 530 Newton metres. This gives sports car like performance to a 2.4 tonne 4WD that will delight those owners who like to punt along hard.

With an officially measured fuel consumption of 13.9 litres per hundred kilometres, this big petrol powerplant is a pretty efficient piece of gear.

Also included in the extra cost of the GL500 is Nappa leather trim (the GL320 gets a vinyl-like material Mercedes calls Artico), a Harmon/Kardon stereo, rear-seat entertainment system, a powered sunroof, a more comprehensive trip computer, power-adjustable steering column, an electro-hydraulic tailgate, as well as many other little goodies. Externally, the Mercedes GL500 has metallic paint, an ‘off-road’ styling pack and larger wheels at 19-inch versus 18.

The turbo-diesel engine puts out 165 kW and 510 Nm and has a combined fuel consumption of a respectable 9.7 litres per hundred kilometres.