Test drive Mercedes Benz GL-class X165 since 2012 SUV
The leader of the Redskins
At the beginning of the XIII century, 23 years, almost without rains, turned the lands of the modern state of New Mexico into a desert and destroyed the developed civilization of the Anasazi Indians. In the XXI century, the fuel drought put on the brink of survival of the race of full -size SUV. One of its few successful representatives is Mercedes-Benz GL. How so? For the answer I had to go to Santa Fe. New Mexico ranks third in the United States in the number of indigenous population. The reservation of Pueblo, Navaho, Hopi and other tribes are quite numerous a little more than 10% of all local residents. Someone, like Pueblo, has long settled here, and, say, Navajo Indians came here from distant Alaska, having broken off from the tribal union of Atabasks.
The American market Full-Size SUV is somewhat similar to the world of the New Mexico Indians. There are many aliens, but many of their heroes. And the new arrivals are squeezing the indigenous Americans exactly the same way that Navajo squeezed Pueblo, or as the pale -faced squeezed out all the natives.
Just 10 years ago, the expanses of American highaves annually ran up to half a million (!) Calm -sized GM SUVs and 300,000 mastodons from the Ford Motor Company. Just five years ago, Americans bought 60,000 Cadillac Escalade and GMC Yukon Denali, almost 40,000 Lincoln Navigator, and now the market leader has become Mercedes-Benz GL with 25,139 cars. The Germans proudly called themselves the leader of the segment! True, they forget to add that in 2007 they sold 26,396 cars. The market is compressed and compressed rapidly. Last year, only 23 467 Cadillac Escalade (not counting the Ext), 9761 Range Rover, 8998 Audi Q7, 8018 Lincoln Navigator and only 3167 Lexus LX. Almost everyone has a decline in sales, and if someone demonstrated growth, then before the peak values \u200b\u200bof 2007, as before the moon. The only one who updated a personal record last year is Infiniti with 13,428 sold QX56. Note that the youngest participant in the market achieved success, because everyone else after the successful 2007 did not experience updates. And if so, it means Mercedes-Benz may well defeat rivals to fluff. A new car awaits a cloudless life?!
More expensive than gold
In total, GL has four engines: a turbocharged V8 with a volume of 4.7 liters (435 hp, 700 nm) on the GL500 version (in the USA GL550), a 5.5 -liter V8 with two turbines (557 p., 750, 750 NM) for GL63 AMG and three -liter V6 diesel (258 hp, 620 Nm) on GL350 Bluetec. In the USA there is also GL450 with the same V8 as the GL500/550, but lower power (367 hp, 550 Nm). So far, only GL500 and GL63 AMG will be officially sold in Russia. The 450th will not be for us for sure, since this modification is intended exclusively for the overseas market, but options are possible with diesel. The modification was not in vain received the Bluetec prefix to comply with the promising norms of Euro 6, along with diesel fuel, it is necessary to fill in the car and urea. But for our market we need a simpler engine that meets EURO 4. To achieve this, new engine control programs, testing, final refinement are needed, and this is all money-money-money. And such a limited choice of motors strikes the positions of the machine in our market. After all, prices start from a mark of 5,200,000 rubles. It is very expensive, but what if there are simply no versions with engines with a smaller volume. For comparison: prices for the latest Range Rover begin with a mark of 3,996,000 rubles., Lexus LX570 costs a maximum of 4,443,000 rubles, Infiniti QX56 and is completely sold in the only configuration for 3,795,000 rubles, and there is still Cadillac Escalade for 2 865 000 rub.! Yes, the past generation of the flagship SUV was leading in the Full-Size SUV class in Russia, but the prices began at 3,270,000 rubles! And how is the new GL going to justify such a high price?
The ship of the desert First of all, comfort, but not in vain, engineers call the new S-class car among SUVs. Of course, this is some exaggeration. The representative class is still far away, but the current level is the highest. On a good road, a complete illusion is created that you are steaming over the highway. The car is not susceptible to the small flaws of the roadway, the silence is disturbed only by the noise of the climate control fan, the ventilation of the seats does not allow the skin of the seats red-hot in the sun, the massage kneads the back as much as four modes, the cup holders warm up the coffee and cool the sparkling of the feet! What are the cup holders doing?! Yes, the cup holders have a heating element and duct, which allows you to maintain the temperature of the drinks. Moreover, the coffee really remains very hot, and the water is very cold, and all this in almost 40-degree heat! (However, in the American market, cars with such an option are not news.) Buys GL and the quality of the interior, especially when it comes to Designo version. Massive panels made of polished wood, upholstery of armchairs and door panels with perforated leather with a rough shutter, wooden inserts on the steering wheel!
Another strong side GL Manage. Especially when it comes to cars with an AMG package. Large 21-inch wheels, more sharp settings of the steering wheel, reinforced brakes are not just a beautiful look! The ribbon of the road led us from the desert to the mountains, reminiscent of Bavarian Alps, endless straight highlights were replaced by high -speed bundles of turns, and sleepy movement in space with an active drive. And again, love! It is even amazing how such a large and heavy car can react so quickly to the turns of the steering wheel! And there are enough brakes even on the hardest braking. Do not think that I am a scumbag who decided to participate in the races on the elephant. Naturally, this riding was active only by the standards of a large SUV, and it is unlikely that any of the owners of the GL500 will move even more aggressive.
But the most amazing thing is that the GL can not only be agile and comfortable, but also passable, because the ON & OFF-ROD optional package with a lowering transmission, locking the center differential, electronic imitations of inter-cut differentials and the ability to raise the body by 306 mm nobody canceled!
My colleague and I moved out of a rather boring route to the auto largest and made a 30-kilometer voyage in the desert. Sharp stones, deep channels of dried rivers, steep slopes are no problems! Of course, sometimes we still had to get out of the car and arrange small landslides to free the goat on which we drove, but we never passed back and did not go in search of the road easier. Sometimes it became scary: GL hangs on two wheels, under the bottom there are huge boulders, the rear support wheel skimpers in a sand trap, diesel growls strained a little more and be trouble! But Mercedes-Benz will guess and go, and move on. Say, mockery of the car? Not at all, because the day before the sortie on the GL350 Bluetec with the ON & OFF-ROAD package, we drove through the GL550 desert with an AMG package! Of course, for a snow -white handsome man on huge wheels, we tried to choose the paths easier, but there were stones, sand, and dry rivers, and fords. So GL is precisely an SUV, not a crossover.
Born free
In addition to the sky -high price of the novelty, the questions raises comfort in the second and third rows. In order to keep the trunk even in a 7-seater configuration, the Germans pushed the third row too close to the second, so the adults there are crowded. Yes, and in the second row it could be more just. The problem of the second row in length would solve the problem, but it is not. Unlike the electric drive of all three rows. You click on the button, and the sofa of the second row leans forward, freeing the passage back, pressing another and the third row settles in motion, hiding under the floor. Only now, climbing the gallery, the buttons can’t get out on their own outside the reach of the passengers.
Questions arose to the operation of the Airmatic air suspension compressor. Raising the car in the highest position takes a lot of time, and the display periodically pops up the message that the suspension compressor needs to cool. You can write off on the heat of the desert, but do we have colder in Krasnodar or Rostov in the summer? But in the south they love large SUVs, for the same Escalade the southern market is one of the largest.
Too a lot of criticism? Such is the fate of all those living in the falling market even a strongest thing can be difficult to survive. Do not think that the new GL is not good enough, or that the large SUV will be finally drunk in the reservation, like the Indians of New Mexico. GL is a very good car. It is better than Escalade and Q7 in all respects, exceeds LX570 in handling, Range Rover in versatility and only QX56 can argue on equal terms with Mercedes-Benz. And the market, as you know, is good for the Russian, the Germans are death. If the increase in oil prices and tightening environmental requirements in the West reduces the market of such machines, then in Russia expensive oil is the best catalyst for its growth. So those who want to buy a large and powerful SUV will always be. Not in the USA, so in Russia, not in Russia, so in China. GL is not one of those who agree to life in the reservation, albeit environmentally friendly. And I am sure that over time the Germans will adapt the diesel to our fuel, and then, perhaps, they will bring GL450, because the last generation had such a version. And then GL will show these pale -faced natural -loving small -leafers who is the leader of the red -skinned people here.
Source: Cars
