The GLE-Class SUV also has the new MBUX system.
Let's define the annual energy used by a Schwarzenegger-class SUV as equal to, "one SUV".
Mercedes designed the GL to stop people from outgrowing the smaller M-Class SUV and leaving the brand.
Its M-Class SUV has been riddled with reliability problems, but Mercedes has been regularly setting sales records.
Its curvy R-Class, a new SUV coming this fall, is the diametric opposite of the current version of the G-Class SUV.
A side benefit will likely be a lot of sales to customers who thought they wanted G-wagens and realized that the cheaper M-Class SUV is more to their liking.
But even when the vehicle is selling at full strength, it is still one of the lowest-volume Mercedes-Benzes, outselling only the boxy, militaristic G-Class SUV and the uber-expensive SLR McLaren.
Sales of DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes-Benz cars, meanwhile, are essentially flat, and its M-Class SUV is the clear victim of BMW's dominance in this segment, with sales off 11% so far this year.
We had this in mind while attending the media introduction of Mercedes' new GL-Class SUV in San Francisco earlier this month, where we learned the full-size GL has no annual sales target.
That's on par or better than most medium-sized SUVs on the market today, equal to Mercedes' own M-Class SUV and superior to both the BMW X5 and the Range Rover.
