M-Class Seeks Quality Redemption

[cincygoblue]

M-Class Seeks Quality Redemption
By Kevin Kelly
WardsAuto.com, Mar 10 2005
A test-drive through France confirms the migration to the unibody structure has taken Mercedes-Benz’s M-Class to new heights.

PROVENCE, France – Mercedes-Benz is battling to retain its once-stellar quality image. The German luxury auto maker has seen its reputation slip, as it racks up consumer complaints regarding some of its newest models.

The effort to halt the brand’s quality decline begins this spring, when Mercedes debuts the all-new ’06 M-Class family of cross/utility vehicles.

The M-Class was one of the first players in the luxury SUV segment in 1998, and since then, has made due with minor interior and exterior facelifts. This freshening, however, does little to protect M-Class market share from being eroded by more than 20 new competitors in the segment.

Most of the new entries take square aim at the M-Class and some already have succeeded in making the segment creator an also-ran in the sales race.

Now, it is time for Mercedes to prove it still can lead. The new M-Class breaks new ground from its predecessor’s traditional formula. Its new sheet metal measures 5.9 ins. (15 cm) longer, 2.8 ins. (7.1 cm) wider and 0.4 ins. (1 cm) lower, with a 114-in. (290-cm) wheelbase that is 3.7 ins. (9.4 cm) longer.

The ’06 M-Class’ exterior styling bears more than passing resemblance to the outgoing model, although it does take on a more athletic stance, with its overall wedge shape and bulging front and rear fenders.

Some say Mercedes should have taken a more radical design approach when styling the new M-Class – but Holger Hutzenlaub, who helped pen the CUV, disagrees.

“What we don’t want to do against our current customers is to make the current M-Class look old by doing a new M-Class being too advanced, so this is a kind of familiarity,” he says. “It has much more shape. We wanted to give more structure and more character, and that’s the reason we did it like this.”

Hutzenlaub says the M-Class design team looked at sports-equipment design and architecture for inspiration, specifically Sir Norman Foster, who designed the Millennium Bridge in London and the Renault SA Distribution Center in Swindon, U.K., as well as Santiago Calatrava, who designed the Campo Volantin Footbridge and Sondica Airport in Bilbao, Spain, as two of the leading design influences.

The front fascia is distinguished by its wide grille, which features three horizontal bars on the base model, while louvers on the up-level trim models provide a more technical look. Both are flanked by new headlamp housings that are placed on the upper flanks of the bumper and move seamlessly into the new, power-domed hood. The front bumper is accentuated with a steel panel designed to look like brushed aluminum.

While the exterior may get mixed reviews, the interior moves M-Class to new heights. This is where the tangible results of the auto maker’s aggressive quality push comes through. The feel of the materials is top-notch, and the old M’s stodginess is gone. The extensive use of round accent areas, including the air vents and radio dials is a welcoming contrast from the flat, linear look of the previous interior.

Hutzenlaub says interior designers specifically wanted to add the different shapes to make the interior visually more appealing.

One of the most crucial points is the noticeable reduction in the number of buttons on the center console. Mercedes seems to be following through on its promise to simplify accessory operation, while reducing the number of functions to those only that have value.

The previous-generation M-Class interior earned criticism for its sub-par materials that felt cheap. That’s not the case with the new model, where the top of the instrument panel appears crafted from a single, high-quality piece; the new seamless passenger airbag adds to the clean look.

A cool new option for the ’06 M-Class: a docking unit that enables iPod users to integrate their music selections directly into the vehicle’s audio system. The dock also charges the iPod and features an anti-battery rundown device to prevent the iPod from draining the main vehicle battery during charging.

A few noticeable and unacceptable omissions: Ventilated seats are not available and, amazingly, an integrated DVD entertainment system for rear passengers also is missing from the options list. Mercedes says it will offer both in the ’07 model year, but that is inexcusable for an all-new vehicle when these features now are expected in the segment.

Mercedes engineers took a different approach with performance. They decided on-road performance should trump off-road prowess, aware that less than 10% of previous-generation M-Class owners took their vehicles off-road.

“On-road driving capabilities had top priority with our M-Class engineers,” says Thomas Weber, DC management board member responsible for research and development. “We wanted to combine the comfort and driving dynamics of a sedan with the driving dynamics of a CUV.”

The M-Class rolls on an all-new unibody platform, which features high-stress points between the suspension and the body to handle the higher loads on the rare occasion when the vehicle is asked to traverse wild terrain.

The use of the unibody structure provides improved torsional rigidity, helping reduce overall noise, vibration and harshness, say engineers.

During a test-drive through the city streets of Nice, down the A8-E80 highway to Provence it is easy to appreciate how the migration to the unibody structure is the proper developmental path.

The new M-Class is clearly superior to its predecessor in noise, vibration and harshness and ranks with the best vehicles in its class, nipping at the heels of the crushingly smooth Lexus RX 330. There are no squeaks or rattles, and wind and road noise is equally absent.

The impression of newfound refinement continues as the M-Class traverses the winding roads along the mountain ridges of the French Alps. The new independent front and rear suspension hugs the road, giving the M-Class a performance-oriented dynamic. The biggest change in the suspension is at the rear, which is mounted to a subframe that is isolated from the body by two solid rubber bushings and two fluid mounts that go the extra mile to damp vibration.

The new 4-link rear layout features forged-steel upper rods, sheet metal camber arms, cast-iron lower wishbones and tubular steel track rods.

The ’06 M-Class breaks additional new ground as the first CUV with a standard 7-speed automatic transmission. The use of the 7G-Tronic transmission provides excellent acceleration in any driving condition, while improving overall fuel economy. The transmission features shift-by-wire technology that enables more precise ratio engagement, with the ability to skip as many as three gears during a downshift.

M-Class owners have two engine choices at the outset: a 3.5L DOHC V-6 or optional 5L SOHC V-8.

The base 3.5L produces 268 hp at 6,000 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. (350 Nm) of torque between 2,400 and 5,000 rpm. Mercedes engineers decided to throw out the old SOHC, 3-valve-per-cylinder V-6 in favor of the new DOHC architecture, which in addition to numerous other advantages, enables the adoption of variable valve timing for intake and exhaust camshafts.

Those looking for more power will opt for the 5L V-8, which develops 302 hp at 5,600 rpm and 339 lb.-ft. (460 Nm) of torque between 2,700 and 4,750 rpm. The V-8 continues with the older SOHC/3-valve modular V-6/V-8 architecture that eventually will be supplanted by the new DOHC/4-valve layout used by the M-Class V-6.

While the base engine is adequate for everyday driving, it’s the optional V-8 that brings out the true character of the M-Class and showcases just how smart engineers were to emphasize on-road agility. The V-8 packs a noticeable punch, and the 7-speed transmission sings in perfect harmony.

While Mercedes has been on the ropes for its lackluster quality, the new M-Class is proof the auto maker can right its course.

The ’06 M-Class arrives in the U.S. April 4, with pricing estimated at less than $40,000 for the ML 350 and in the high $40,000-range for the ML 500.