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Mercedes-Benz ML420 wagon exerts more muscle on smart wheels
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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MONTPELIER, Vt. -- To pick a path through the convoluted typography of Vermont, it helps to have a native aboard for guidance, but to make headway safely through Vermont's rugged mountains it also helps to have a sturdy vehicle capable of applying traction to all four wheels.
On a recent trek from Burlington to Montpelier, a resident guide directed us away from sanitized pavement of I-89 and instead charted a course though Bristol and Rocky Dale to Warren and Sugarbush along a dusty trace cut through the heart of Vermont's scenic Green Mountains.
What our native didn't mention was that the selected route traversed Lincoln Gap, a natural saddle between Mount Abraham to the north and Mount Grant to the south.
The winding trail, etched into steep slopes and littered with loose gravel on packed dirt, quickly degenerated into a driver's traction nightmare capable of, at best, spinning wheels and, at worse, sending tons of sheetmetal over the barrier-free lip of this so-called road and down the mountain to certain doom.
"Don't worry," the Vermonter told a nervous driver. "You've got a powerful weapon to fight for traction."
And so we did.
Armed with the new V8-powered ML430 sport-utility wagon from Mercedes-Benz, our vehicle possessed the driving characteristics and comforts of a fine Mercedes sedan, but the cargo-hauling capacity and go-anywhere attributes of a rugged 4-wheel-drive wagon.
Besides a lusty flow of power, this wagon also stocked four smart wheels.
Its unconventional 4-wheel traction system, linked to an on-board computer, could distribute power automatically to each wheel individually, or in sets of wheels fore and aft, so at any time at least one tire would be able to get a grip on the road.
The full-time 4-wheel-drive system does not lock axles to maintain traction in slippery situations, but instead can sense a slipping wheel electronically, then brake the slippage and redirect power to wheels with better grip.
For rugged travel off-pavement, the system has an electronically-controlled 2-speed transfer case with lower gear settings -- activated by dashboard button.
Couple the generous muscle of that big V8 engine with the smart traction system, and our wagon whisked up to Lincoln Gap, spewing gravel on steep spots but always maintaining traction in safe forward progression.
The ML430 virtually took all work out of this dicy passage, leaving riders with nothing more to worry about than the fit of firm seats and comforts of a refined cabin.
Developed from scratch and assembled in Alabama as the first Mercedes-Benz product ever built outside the borders of Germany, the SUV originally appeared as the ML320 rigged with a 3.2-liter V6 engine.
This year, the new Mercedes V8 engine drops into the equation under the label of ML430.
Displacing 4.3 liters, the single-cam aluminum plant achieves 268 hp and peaks torque to 288 lbs/ft across a board band from 3000 to 4500 rpm.
The Mercedes 3.2-liter overhead cam V6, also with aluminum block and cylinder heads, continues at 215 hp.
Advantages of the larger plant translate to enhanced strength for towing a trailer and quicker acceleration.
In tests powering up from zero to 60 mph, the ML430 measures a second faster than the ML320, breaking the tape in eight seconds rather than nine. Top speed, limited electronically, extends to 112 mph.
Both V6 and V8 engines connect to an electronic 5-speed automatic transmission which can out-think a driver. So smooth and efficient that you barely detect shift patterns, the system can determine when it's best to stay in a lower gear without initiating annoying upshifts -- as demonstrated in Vermont during the descent from Lincoln Gap when the lowest gear was needed to retard momentum.
Both wagons ride on a chassis with twist-resistant boxed sections that create an inherently rigid platform.
Apply front and rear suspension sub-frames and rubber body mounts and you end up with a foundation that's stronger, stiffer and quieter than most passenger cars.
Then comes the unexpected: Fully independent double wishbone suspension for all wheels, to further isolate the passenger compartment from lumps of the road and also set up a highly maneuverable vehicle.
Other notable mechanical features include power rack and pinion steering for better turning control, plus power-assisted disc brakes tied to anti-lock and traction control systems, along with the unique Mercedes electronic stability control program.
A Mercedes innovation of Brake Assist is also aboard, automatically applying full brake force during panic stops to shorten stopping distances by as much as 45 percent.
Safety elements extend to a strong framework of steel with front and rear crunch zones and reinforced side bracing. Dual frontal air bags and door-mounted side air bags are in place, as is a front passenger seat with the Mercedes BabySmart system which disables the passenger's-side air bags when a special infant seat is installed.
The passenger compartment looks and feels like it was lifted from the Mercedes E320 -- plush bucket seats, center console, full instrumentation, wood trimmings and a host of handy conveniences tucked into every nook.
Second tier seats use a bench with bottom split about a third to one side, but three articulated backrests fold forward individually to expand the cargo bay in various ways. Also, seats will inch forward to increase cargo area or tumble to maximize space.
For hauling even more people, two folding jump seats may be installed optionally in the rear. When not used, they fold up and store against upper sides of the cargo bay.
With this arrangement, the wagon increases seating capacity to seven and mimics a minivan.
Pricing for the ML series indicates a 1.5 percent decrease at entry level this year for ML320, which now tallies to $34,750, plus $545 added as a delivery fee.
The new ML430 begins at $43,345 and offers options like an enormous power sliding Skyview Top for $2,395.
1999 MERCEDES-BENZ ML WAGONS
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1999 MERCEDES BENZ ML430 Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sport-utility wagon |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sport-utility wagon |
| Wheelbase: |
111.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
180.6 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.2-L V6
SOHC 4.3-L V8
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| Transmission: |
Auto/5 |
| Drive: |
AWD |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS/TCS/ESP |
| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side) |
| Gas Mileage: |
V6: 17/21 mpg
V8: 15/18 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 35,545 to $ 48,000 |
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