Actually the ML, GL and R interiors were supposedly designed to be able to incorporate the new version of command in them because the shifter was moved to the steering wheel and all of that empty space was left between the seats to put the "i drive-like" controller. The question is the cost of making the change.

Yeah I remember reading that in Automobile Magazine back when the new ML/GL/R came out. We'll see if they were right in a few months I guess.

M

Remember those cars debuted before the S-Class (except for the GL). MB saved all the gadgets and new technology for the S to introduce them in, then they'll trickle down to lower class vehicles. I'm with the updated COMAND in the facelifted ML/R/GL, but knowing MB facelifts, I'm not so optimistic about it.

it's not about MB facelifts, look at the SL facelift, so extensive yet no new command
the technology behind command III will require to rethink the whole electronics of the car. doing this will be too much of a cost this will never happen, things like COMMAND III are not facelift materials

True. That's why the X3 and Z4 have no iDrive I guess

exactly, the 3er and 1er range were built from the ground up to accomodate the presence or lack of Idrive, much like the C and command III
unless there is a specific need ot incorporate such technolgies, the cost will be prohibitive during facelift
don't forget that the cost of developping and building new electronics for any vehicle just for the sake of incorporating command III or anything similar during the facelift is high enough not to be fully amortized by the end of the lifecycle, much like the cost of building the original pre facelift electronics might not be amortized by facelift time, that is why unless we are dealing with a company like jaguar or volvo who will facelift a model 237.2 times before changing it we can expect never to see such drastic changes from MB or BMW

some people will hark back to the E3x era of BMW or the W220 S who bath had their nav upgraded, but it can never be emphasized enough that for one the amount of raw car features handled by the internal computer whose "face" is the nav screen has increased tenfold since then, and furthermore to run a simple analogy the change that occured at facelift for these systems was more akin to "changing monitors and installing a servicepack" than to "changing the whole PC" that will occur during installing Command III at facelift or Idrive

modern cars are increasingly more complex and electronics reliant, something that wasn\t the case just 10 years ago, and when the nav screen controlled mainly the nav and the radio at most 5 years ago, today this "simple system" will most often control up to the speed the windows roll up or down when you press the button

the only possibility that the ML (and subsequently GL or any other model) will be facelifted with the Command III interface is if MB did what BMW did iwth the 3er and 1, that is installed a dual control system at the electronics level, so that the car is essentially command III ready but it does not have the tool
simple analogy is when you bought motherboards that had dual AGP and PCI express slots that enabled you to upgrade the graphic card to the enwer model without having to buy a new board, the board might be a bit costlier initially but at the end it will be amortized a lot more efficiently and will end up costing less

Mercedes M-Class Facelift Latest Spy Photos




With the current iteration of Mercedes' M-Class touring suburban roads for nearly three years, the firm has decided to give the model a mild mid-cycle facelift.
Though we brought you the initial images of the facelifted car in December, these photos show the revised model undergoing cold weather testing in -30° Celcius temperatures in Lapland, Finland earlier today. But judging from these pictures, it doesn't seem like Mercedes is going to alienate the M-faithful. You'd be hard-pressed to see the differences if the car weren't wearing characteristic black masking tape concealing its secret face. What we can tell you is that, following from the rest of the range, the freshened M-Class will receive a more prominent front bumper and skirt plus slightly re-designed taillights when it goes public in mid-2008.
We also anticipate the new model's interior to move more upmarket and a cleaner Bluetec engine to be fitted under the hood.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9080124.011/mercedes-m-class-facelift-latest-spy-photos

Damn, how i hate that 4Matic badge they put on it; no $h!t! I thought it was FWD!

Ok this will be for the 2009 model year. Better be good to head off the GLK. I mean new nav and every other weakness had better be addressed.

M

Seriously you thought it was FWD?

M