Body style: SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle)
Segment: Premium SUV
Production years: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
Mercedes-Benz refreshed the GL range in late 2009, improving the car's comfortable ride and introducing an upgraded turbo-diesel engine.
The world financial crisis was not over yet when the German carmaker introduced a refreshed version for its luxurious SUV, the GL. Unlike its main U.S. competitors, it featured a unibody construction instead of the body-on-frame system used by Cadillac for the Escalade or by Lincoln for the Navigator. On top of that, the GL provided a turbo-diesel engine that ensured a 600 mile (965 km) range on a tank.
With a refreshed design and triangular headlights, the GL provided a commanding view of the road. Its chiseled front fenders and flared wheel-arches created the image of a go-anywhere vehicle, and that was very close to reality. Mercedes-Benz built the GL with a short front overhang and a raised rear one to go through trails and tracks without tearing its bodywork. Moreover, the carmaker offered an off-road package that added metallic underbody shields, while the standard version sported plastic covers underneath the bodywork.
Inside, the German carmaker installed a seven-seat interior in a 2-3-2 configuration. At the front, the dashboard featured an instrument cluster with two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and an LCD between them. The fuel and coolant temperature gauges were placed in the main dials. With a set of two comfortable and wide seats at the front and a bench for three in the middle row, and two seats in the trunk area, the GL proved that a luxury vehicle could be helpful as a people carrier. Its trunk could hold up to 2,356 liters (83.3 cu-ft).
Under the hood, besides the two gasoline V-8 engines, the carmaker introduced a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6, which used AdBlue to lower the emissions. That made it legal in 50 states across the U.S.
ENGINE SPECS - 450 CDI V8 7AT AWD (306 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 3996 cm3 |
Power: | 225 KW @ 3600 RPM 306 HP @ 3600 RPM 302 BHP @ 3600 RPM |
Torque: | 516 lb-ft @ 2000-2600 RPM 700 Nm @ 2000-2600 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Direct Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 143 mph (230 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 7.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 7-speed automatic (G TRONIC) |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 275/55 R19 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 200.3 in (5088 mm) |
Width: | 75.6 in (1920 mm) |
Height: | 72.4 in (1839 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.7/64.8 in (1,643/1,646 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 121 in (3073 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 10.9 in (277 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 21.9 cuFT (620 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.36 |
Turning circle: | 39.7 ft (12.1 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5621 lbs (2550 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 7165 lbs (3250 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 14.8 mpg US (15.9 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 25.3 mpg US (9.3 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 20.1 mpg US (11.7 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 307-313 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 450 V8 7AT 4MATIC AWD (340 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 4663 cm3 |
Power: | 250 KW @ 6000 RPM 340 HP @ 6000 RPM 335 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 339 lb-ft @ 2700-5000 RPM 460 Nm @ 2700-5000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 146 mph (235 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 7.2 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 7-speed automatic (G TRONIC) |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 275/55 R19 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 200.3 in (5088 mm) |
Width: | 75.6 in (1920 mm) |
Height: | 72.4 in (1839 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.7/64.8 in (1,643/1,646 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 121 in (3073 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 10.9 in (277 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 21.9 cuFT (620 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.37 |
Turning circle: | 39.7 ft (12.1 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5357 lbs (2430 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6944 lbs (3150 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 12.7 mpg US (18.5 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 22.2 mpg US (10.6 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 17.4 mpg US (13.5 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 312-317 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 500 V8 7AT 4MATIC AWD (387 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 5461 cm3 |
Power: | 285 KW @ 6000 RPM 387 HP @ 6000 RPM 382 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 391 lb-ft @ 2800-4800 RPM 530 Nm @ 2800-4800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 150 mph (241 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.5 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 7-speed automatic (G TRONIC) |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 275/55 R19 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 200.3 in (5088 mm) |
Width: | 75.6 in (1920 mm) |
Height: | 72.4 in (1839 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.7/64.8 in (1,643/1,646 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 121 in (3073 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 10.9 in (277 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 21.9 cuFT (620 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.36 |
Turning circle: | 39.7 ft (12.1 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5390 lbs (2445 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6944 lbs (3150 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 12.4 mpg US (19 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 22 mpg US (10.7 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 17.1 mpg US (13.8 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 317-322 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY V6 7AT AWD (224 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V6 |
Displacement: | 2987 cm3 |
Power: | 165 KW @ 3800 RPM 224 HP @ 3800 RPM 221 BHP @ 3800 RPM |
Torque: | 376 lb-ft @ 1600-2800 RPM 510 Nm @ 1600-2800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Common Rail |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 130 mph (209 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 9.5 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 7-speed automatic (G TRONIC) |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 265/60 R18 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 200.3 in (5088 mm) |
Width: | 75.6 in (1920 mm) |
Height: | 72.4 in (1839 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.7/64.8 in (1,643/1,646 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 121 in (3073 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 10.9 in (277 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 21.9 cuFT (620 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.36 |
Turning circle: | 39.7 ft (12.1 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5401 lbs (2450 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6944 lbs (3150 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 19.6 mpg US (12 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 29.4 mpg US (8 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 24.7 mpg US (9.5 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 244-253 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 350 CDI BlueTEC V6 7AT AWD (211 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V6 |
Displacement: | 2987 cm3 |
Power: | 155 KW @ 3400 RPM 211 HP @ 3400 RPM 208 BHP @ 3400 RPM |
Torque: | 398 lb-ft @ 1600-2400 RPM 540 Nm @ 1600-2400 RPM |
Fuel System: | Turbocharged Common Rail |
Fuel: | Diesel |
Fuel capacity: | 26.4 gallons (99.9 L) |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 130 mph (209 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 9.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | All Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 7-speed automatic (G TRONIC) |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Ventilated Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
---|---|
Tire Size: | 265/60 R18 |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 200.3 in (5088 mm) |
Width: | 75.6 in (1920 mm) |
Height: | 72.4 in (1839 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 64.7/64.8 in (1,643/1,646 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 121 in (3073 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 10.9 in (277 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 21.9 cuFT (620 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.36 |
Turning circle: | 39.7 ft (12.1 m) |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 5489 lbs (2490 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 6944 lbs (3150 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 19.3 mpg US (12.2 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 32.2 mpg US (7.3 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 25.5 mpg US (9.2 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 239-244 g/km |