Mercedes-Benz GL
FIRST GUYS IN KUBAN
Alfred Mardanov, «Avtoclub-Kazan»
The invitation to try out new Mercedes cars in Krasnodar caught me off guard. Not that the distance from Kazan bothered me, it's just that we had literally just finished getting acquainted with the new E-Class, and I had no plans for cars of this brand in the near future. But at the beginning of winter, escaping to warmer climes is tempting, especially since we never made it to last year's test drive in Sochi from another manufacturer. I decided to check the weather in Krasnodar online to figure out what clothes to bring. Great! Plus seventeen, while we have minus five — and that's Celsius. The gathering of participants, who had come from all over the country, was scheduled at Sheremetyevo right before the flight. How the organizers managed to get us, journalists, who arrived in Moscow by various means — train, plane, whoever could — to one place at one time remains a mystery to me. The coordination and precision of the work impressed me even then. While waiting for the flight at the airport, I struggled with sleep, trying to guess which of those present would turn out to be my colleague in the field. You have to keep yourself busy somehow to stay in shape.
As usual, I couldn't sleep on the train, plus the drive to the airport, check-in, flight — in the end, the test drive started for me after a day and a half without sleep. The almost empty brand-new terminal resembled a building near which a small neutron bomb had exploded: everything works, everything functions, but somehow sluggishly and sparsely populated. And what a stern crowd flew this time! Usually, after landing, it's customary to applaud, but when the wheels touched the runway, there was dead silence in the cabin — not a single muscle twitched on the passengers' faces. Even during the approach, it was visible from the window that it was warm outside. In reality, of course, it wasn't +17, but only +7, but it felt as if autumn had lingered, forgetting to check the calendar. The trees hadn't yet fully shed their yellow leaves, and a special southern aroma hung in the air. There were quite a few of us — about 25 people. Boarding the bus, we head to the «Platan» hotel, surrounded by trees of the same name. In front of the entrance, a line of Mercedes-Benz vehicles greets us, arranged in a single row. An impressive sight!
This time, the updated GL and E-Class 4Matic appeared before the journalists' judgment. There were 14 cars in total, judging by the power-of-attorney documents for driving that were issued to us before the test drive. These were Mercedes-Benz E 350 4matic, Mercedes-Benz E 500 4Matic, Mercedes-Benz GL 350 CDI 4matic, Mercedes-Benz GL 450 4Matic, Mercedes-Benz GL 500 4Matic in various trims and colors. The briefing before the test took little time. We were divided into two teams: the first would get acquainted with the magnificent GLs today, the second with the E-Class, and tomorrow we'd swap. I'm amazed at the instructors' ability to scare people before tests. The route, which would go directly from the hotel through the entire city, onto the highway, and into the mountains, through a pass, a ford, and a serpentine, and then back to the hotel, supposedly harbors terrible dangers. I don't even know if we'll manage! Before handing over the keys, we were duly given special road books, in which the route is described to the meter, but figuring them out without a navigator is simply unrealistic. I got a colleague from Krasnoyarsk as my partner. The poor guy had flown through an unimaginable number of time zones and was suffering from fatigue more than anyone else. What a pleasant surprise — we start our journey with the only white beauty, the GL 500, under whose hood sits a V8 engine with nearly four hundred horsepower.
Mercedes-Benz has restyled the GL, making this class of cars even more attractive externally, acquiring more masculine forms. Modernized bumpers, improved chrome protective underbody covering for the rear and front of the car, a new radiator grille, as well as fog lights/daytime running lights connected by a chrome plate. Among the innovations are wheels with light-alloy discs (18–21 inches) and a new chrome exhaust pipe. The color palette has been expanded and now includes two new «metallic» colors: copper-gray and palladium-silver. The tow hitch is now hidden under the rear apron and can extend when needed. I noticed that the 500s differ externally in that the radiator grille consists of three longitudinal elements, while the others make do with two. Changes also affected the technical equipment of the cars, which is a particular source of pride for Mercedes-Benz. Among them is a whole range of assistance systems, including the innovative PRE-SAFE® safety technology, which in the event of an imminent collision ensures maximum safety for the car and passengers by optimally activating protective devices. The driver only feels this through the activation of the seatbelt pretensioner. The electrically adjustable front passenger seat with memory function (optional) takes the optimal position so that airbags and the seatbelt system can deploy most effectively.
In addition, the system prudently closes the sunroof and side windows. If the collision doesn't occur and dynamic indicators return to normal, the seatbelt tension automatically loosens. The front passenger seat, side windows, and sunroof return to their original position. The Intelligent Light System (ILS) ensures optimal distribution of headlight beams taking into account the road situation and weather conditions. It automatically switches off the high beam if it «sees» oncoming traffic. The standard package also includes LED daytime running lights and rear tail lights. Glancing at the technical specifications, I caught the acceleration figure to 100 km/h — 6.5 seconds, and that's with a curb weight of 2.5 tons. The figure itself is already not childish, and for such a giant! I even perked up in anticipation of the journey, and I see Yura (my Krasnoyarsk friend) also perked up and is actively studying the road book — he decided to take the navigator's seat for the first section of the route. Everyone's here, we're off. Yes, you have to be careful with the gas pedal: the car is simply charged for launch, it feels like it's decided to defy the laws of physics and is ready not just to drive, but to hover above the ground. I didn't really like the traffic organization in Krasnodar — it's all a bit winding and not entirely convenient, but nevertheless, with the help of the road book, we broke out into the open space — onto the suburban stretch of the road. Over the 30 kilometers to the mountain section, I never found a place where I could floor the gas: I kept catching up to someone on the highway. But nevertheless, on these short bursts, it presses you into the seat in two stages, apparently at the moment of shifting of the 7-speed 7G-Tronic. This gearbox with 4Matic is a separate topic.
All-wheel drive here is arranged through a two-speed transfer case mated to the 7G-TRONIC automatic. A pair of driveshafts with CV joints normally splits torque between the axles in a 45:55 ratio, while a bevel differential is responsible for equalizing rotation speeds. If the wheels start to slip, the 4ETS electronics step in, redistributing traction by braking the spinning wheels and sending torque to those with better grip. The design itself is integrated directly into the gearbox—saving space and improving efficiency. You can shift gears either by trusting the automatic or manually via paddle shifters. I tried both options and noticed that in automatic mode the gearbox responds quicker. Sound insulation and overall comfort are so good that you barely feel the speed, and you have no urge to glance at the speedometer—you just want to drive and enjoy. The asphalt ended pretty quickly, but with the AIRMATIC air suspension, which comes as standard, comfort and stability remained top-notch. The system keeps the ground clearance constant regardless of load. On sharp bends, I deliberately tried to provoke the car into body roll, but it cornered surprisingly easily, without any 'SUV-like' rocking. Ground clearance can be adjusted on the fly—automatically or manually. When accelerating to 140 km/h, the body lowers itself by 15 mm on both axles to reduce air resistance and add stability. When speed drops below 40 km/h, the clearance returns to its standard position. Besides highway stability, this suspension promises decent off-road capability, but I couldn't fully test that—the route wasn't exactly off-road. However, based on the tech, you can take it on faith. But let me clarify right away: this isn't a car for conquering fields and jungles; for truly harsh conditions, there's a special Offroad-Pro package. The test drive was arranged so that everyone could drive all engine versions, and before heading into the mountains, we swapped cars.
We had two identical laps on a marked track. This is exactly where the 'blue stream' is supposed to pass, and the instructors warned in advance that it would be tough. Climbs up to 60 degrees, no barriers or warning signs. Also, during the briefing, a deer family came out of the forest in front of everyone. Well, let's see! The road book turned out to be so detailed that even dangerous potholes were marked—though I never saw them, and the section marked as 'dangerous' turned out to be just a long descent with turns. It felt like the car, like a smart horse, was driving itself along a familiar road. And this feeling was shared by all participants. The fog that had accompanied us from the start grew thicker, and on the second lap we were driving almost blind. The fog lights didn't help much (and figuring out how to turn them on was a puzzle), and at some point we thought we were lost. But the confidence the GL inspired never wavered; we even got a thrill from seeking adventure. But it didn't happen—the car led us right where we needed to go. On rough terrain, I still preferred the diesel: confident low-end torque brings calm, and you want a rougher road. The instructors later said that due to the fog, we couldn't see how dangerous that descent was, but at this time of year there's always such haze—I suspect they couldn't see anything either. The adaptive suspension, which adjusts to the surface, works very noticeably. At first, on gravel after asphalt, we were shaken quite a bit, but after a couple of meters, all unpleasant vibrations disappeared. On the highway, it's better to switch to 'Sport' mode, and on dirt—'Comfort'. It's a pity the organizers didn't plan photo pit stops—we had to shoot spontaneously, especially at a small stream we forded. I gave one participant a great shot when I splashed through the water with a fountain of spray, and I caught such a moment with a car behind me, but not quite successfully. The idea of a car you can steer with one hand works even on such surfaces—it's so obedient and predictable. We returned to the hotel in the dark, and to avoid dealing with the road book, I tagged along with the instructor, who, frankly, didn't spare the gas. Wow, the 500 is a beast! I completely forgot that behind me were two rows of seats and nearly 2.5 tons of weight. My enthusiasm was cooled by a joker in an old Civic with 'Police' livery—instinct kicked in, and I braked. A thousand devils under my hood, I'm not in Europe but in Mother Russia, where it's warm now but the country is vast—from time zones to climate. Yura and I laughed all the way to the hotel! As much as I liked the 500, I'd choose the 450. It has only 48 fewer horsepower, loses 0.7 seconds to 100 km/h, but I'll feel the difference in rubles. Though... who cares; here you're not just buying a car, but a Mercedes-Benz. In the evening, we had dinner at a cozy café with Italian flair, and the next day—runs in the E-Class 4MATIC.
Day two
Up at dawn, packed up—and off again, this time to an old abandoned airfield (how many more are there across the country!). There, for the drive test of the new E-Class 4MATIC, they prepared a track right on the former runway. It includes a 'slalom', 'moose test', slaloms of varying widths, a turn in a narrow corridor, a straight acceleration line, braking in a box, a square area for turning, reverse parking, and a finish through a gate. Externally, the all-wheel-drive 'E-Classes' are no different from the regular rear-wheel-drive versions, and importantly, they weigh almost the same—the difference is only 70 kg. This was achieved thanks to the longitudinal engine layout, combined into a single unit with the main and transfer gearboxes. It's compact, light, and allows maximum power extraction—a distinct advantage over other all-wheel-drive sedans with transverse engines. So the extra 0.4 liters of fuel per 100 km is a trifle compared to a regular car.
We're almost on first-name terms with the road book now, slowly driving in a convoy to our destination. Acoustic comfort and suspension softness don't give away the all-wheel-drive version—everything is like in a regular E-Class. We got the 500 again, and we're both pleased, though on the airfield we're unlikely to squeeze even half of its speed potential. If the GL was fast, this 'E' is even faster due to its lighter weight. I'd remove or hide the ESP off button to avoid temptation. I tried launching 'full throttle'—the car, like a motorboat, squatted on its rear, planed, and flew. It pressed me into the seat harder than yesterday's airplane takeoff. Brakes match the dynamics—otherwise, you couldn't hold such power. The whole car concept is tuned for safe winter driving. All systems work toward this: brakes, heating, and the drive, which can deliver maximum acceleration even in tricky conditions—like when one side of the car is on an icy incline (so-called split-mu) or both wheels on one axle slip (mu-jump). I couldn't fully test this—there's no snow, but on the test area with puddles and mud, it was quite illustrative. By the way, on the 350, I went through the slalom noticeably faster. The reason is simple: the 500 is heavier, and you need to turn the nose in time, and you have to be more careful with the throttle—the agility is no joke. The 350 turned out more balanced and more interesting for such exercises. I tried turning off ESP—and it slid. I didn't get it. Again! It turns out that ESP, 4ETS, and ASR don't interfere most of the time, and the drive itself ensures optimal torque distribution even on slippery roads. Corrections happen almost imperceptibly. And that's right: I don't like when an 'electronic collar' constantly tugs, but here everything works most intelligently. Safety, excellent handling, comfortable suspension, and cabin quietness make the E-Class 4MATIC a serious contender. Now about prices: GL 450—from 3.7 million rubles, GL 500—from 4.9 million rubles, GL 350—from 3 million rubles, E 500—from 3.1 million rubles, E 350—from 2.5 million rubles.
Photos by Mercedes-Benz and the author