Mercedes-Benz GL-Class X164 Picture Thread

[Deutsch]

This is the best looking GL I've yet seen.

[Yaz]

I don't know, I'm still not feeling the new GL. It just doesn't excite me as every other new Mercedes on the road. MBUSA is really pushing this car though, the ads for this thing are on TV non-stop. I guess they've learned their lesson when they didn't advertise the R as much as they're supposed to.

Commercial: http://www.mbusa.com/brand/models/ga...l&mname=new-gl

[Deutsch]

I think this generation of MB cars has some products that honestly shouldn't be, and I'd say that the GL is one of them, along w/ the R, A, and B - class. All of these cars are just pointless additions to a brand where such vehicles are just really don't make a whole lot of sense. Land Rover can do a Range Rover because it's a vehicle that Land Rover created all on it's own w/ out any outside influence, it's a special product, hence the reason why it doesn't have third row seats (even though it probably couldn't accomadate an extra row of seats w/ out compromising the traditional RR look, but it's big enough), and to start, LR is a brand renowned for it's ability to produce extreme off road vehicles that can traverse mother natures absolute worst and then some. MB is a premiere brand, much like RR though not on as large of a scale of grandeur, it's still a brand associated w/ automotive greatness and superiority. The GL does everything the ML does, but the ML does it better because it's the same thing w/ a sportier dynamic than the clunk-a-hunk GL. Hopefully MB will get it... someday.

[bum-man]

The Bluetec still remains my favorite, color and everything.















Hopefully we will see some with real bushgards soon...
http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/a...7&galleryId=37

[Deutsch]

This car strikes as odd a chord w/ me as the 6er does, but I'm not questioning the 6er's exsistence. The GL looks like it's having a serious identity crisis, "do I want to be an ML or a G wagen??? O my sweet lord, I think I'm having an anxiety atttack, what do I I I I I Dooo!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

[bum-man]

That's exactly what it is. Fittingly it's placed inbetween the Gelandewagen and the ML thus why it shares both traites. The G-wagen is still in production ya know, so the GL was never intended to take it's place, it was only created to fill in the gap.

[Deutsch]

Originally Posted by bum-man

That's exactly what it is. Fittingly it's placed inbetween the Galandewagen and the ML thus why it shares both traites. The G-wagon is still in production you know, so the GL was never intended to take it's place, it was only created to fill in the gap.

I understand that, but that doesn't change the fact that it's totally pointless. There's no real reason why they couldn't do a third row seat in the W164, only small kids go in third row seats anyway??? No fanboy here, but honestly, why do you think BMW (& soon to be Audi w/ the Q5) only does two S.A.V's??? BMW realizes that every product has to make sense to both consumers and enthusiast alike (not to mention the B.O.D.), they have a heritage and philosiphy to live up to, not to mention all the high expectations of the enthusiast crowd. Therefore they only do what is necessary, they cater only to a viable market where potential is seen and actually exsists. They don't do it just because they can, it's has to fit the brands character and the mkt place.

[PHYBENZ]

Originally Posted by Deutsch

There's no real reason why they couldn't do a third row seat in the W164, only small kids go in third row seats anyway??? No fanboy here, but honestly, why do you think BMW (& soon to be Audi w/ the Q5) only does two S.A.V's???

There is a huge market for 7 passenger SUV's in the US, which is the market the GL is primarily targeting. Audi has the Q7, and will have the Q5, and is also rumored to have a Q3 in production.... BMW has the X5 and X3, and has been rumored to be building an X7 and R-class type of vehicle. Just because they aren't out yet doesn't mean they aren't in the process of being built, and also doesn't mean they are pointless.

The ML was the first luxury SUV and many said that was pointless, but time has shown that it is not.... MB has been the first to enter these markets from a German Luxury standpoint and so far has been succesful, and don't be suprised to see others follow as they are rumored to be.

[bum-man]

Originally Posted by Deutsch

They don't do it just because they can, it's has to fit the brands character and the mkt place.

I don't really see what you are getting at Deutsch. I think it's a bit foolish to think Mercedes didn't study the market before they signed off on producing the GL.
Personally, I'm glad they went ahead to make the GL it's much better to see some variety then just see a bunch of ML's all over with useless 3rd row seating.

[Deutsch]

There will be no "X7", that rumor has been around for a good while. I personally dont' believe there's too big a mkt. for 7 passenger SUV's, rarely do you find families w/ that many kids. It's called excess, what we Americans have come to love, and I still dont' know why??? As for the BMW "Space Functinal Concept", that is something entirely different than an R-class, it's a unique product w/ space for many but still a performance vehicle at heart, aimed at the European market, which doesn't have a real appetite for S.U.V.'s but large people transporters. I guess what I was really trying to say about the GL and R is that they're rather redundant considering that they share one common platform w/ an already sucessful vehicle (the ML) that only needed a few minor modifications to appeal to a handfull more consumers. The S.U.V market is in decline, albeit slowly, and I think that one day soon you'll see S.U.V.'s not as we know them today. It's called the Crossover, the R claims to be one but doesn't come off that way, at all. MB needs to pull it's engineers and esigners together to focus on creating more focused product.