My friend's tone was not so much scorn as dismissive, writes Brian Byrne. Even though he'd probably not driven the new generation ML-Class I'd arrived in to his gig. I didn't argue. There's no argument with embedded preconception laced with anti bias.
Yank? OK, along with the GL-Class, the ML is made in the US for the European market. Tank? Well, tough it is. Big too. Nothing wrong with either.
Until this year the M-Class was a bit of boxiness. Had all the best bits from its brand, though. Strong. Comfortable. Good engines. Off-road ability when needed.
This year it still has all of the above. With more. More strength, more comfortable, more offroad capability. Better engines, better looks. And with less. Fuel usage, to be precise.
The market position is luxury SUV. Range Rover Sport competitor. BMW X5 too. Some versions of Audi's Q7. A place where price is not necessarily the most important thing. Though it isn't unimportant.
Even if it came without the badge, you'd know that it's a Merc. Outside and in, it has the detailing. The fittings, the finish. The familiars. Familiar is important to retain your premium buyers. And it does have the three-point star badge. A big one.
It has the technologies too. The 4Matic permanent AWD is another familiar. Always improving. Attention Assist wakes you up if you start to sleepily drift. One of the best automatic transmissions in the business. On offer are more, like the Airmatic suspension system and a more comprehensive On/Offroad package than the standard 4Matic, which allows excursions into deeper wilderness.
The basic powerplants of its main competitors start at 3.0 litres displacement. Or more. But the base engine here is a 2.1 diesel that pumps out a seriously hefty 500Nm of torque. In a most pleasant manner. The 201hp is quite adequate for moving this very substantial car to 100km/h in nine seconds.
The 7-speed autobox references conditions rather than driver. I have colleagues who'd say this is boring. Their problem, not the car's. My journalistic partner and I had to separately drive across the country and back over last weekend. She had previously driven this car for review, was cheerily jealous that she had to do the trip in a supermini while I had comfort and luxury. C'est la vie, or whatever.
Despite its size, it isn't a thirsty brute. Around 44mpg equivalent, an average of 164g/km CO2. Arch-competitor BMW has pulled publicity plaudits for achieving fuel frugality in recent years. But Mercedes-Benz hasn't been falling behind.
We have a large, comfortable, rugged car that doesn't chew up the environment as much as those who know no better believe it does. They figure it 'Yank Tank' and therefore Big Bad. They need to go figure again about this one. Though they won't.
The review car came in at €85,220. The environment comes in better off for it. Relatively speaking.
