The W163 ML-Class was the first Mercedes-Benz built in the United States, assembled at a new plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
Lead trim: ML320 · up to 342 hp
Mercedes-Benz ML-ClassW163 · 1998–2005
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FactThe W163 ML-Class was the first Mercedes-Benz built in the United States, assembled at a new plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ML320 | 1998–2003 | 3.2 L V6 | 215 hp | 232 lb-ft | — | AWD | Automatic 5-spd | — |
| ML350 · 5-spd auto · 3.7L · AWD | 2003–2005 | 3.7 L V6 | 232 hp | 255 lb-ft | — | AWD | Automatic 5-spd | — |
| ML430 | 1999–2001 | 4.3 L V8 | 268 hp | 295 lb-ft | — | AWD | Automatic 5-spd | — |
| ML500 · 5-spd auto | 2002–2005 | 5.0 L V8 | 288 hp | 325 lb-ft | — | AWD | Automatic 5-spd | — |
| ML55 | 2000–2000 | 5.5 L V8 | 342 hp | 376 lb-ft | — | AWD | Automatic 5-spd | — |
Owning one
An estimate, for the ML350 · 5-spd auto · 3.7L · AWD trim: fuel on its EPA figure and a dated national price, upkeep on a per-mile average for the kind of car it is.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This W166 generation had an unlikely VIP customer — the Popemobile built for the Vatican rode on the very same 2012 M-Class platform as the ML63 AMG.
Mercedes' own M-Class once shared its platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango — a leftover from the Daimler-Chrysler merger that outlived the divorce.
The W164 ML63 switched AMG's SUV V8 from supercharged to naturally aspirated, dropping forced induction entirely.
The 2009 ML 450 Hybrid burned almost half the fuel of the V8 ML 550 — while still making over 90% of its power.
The ML55 AMG arrived on a generation of M-Class so plagued by quality complaints that owners nicknamed it the "Alabama Trashcan," after the Vance, Alabama plant that built it.
The W163 ML-Class was the first Mercedes-Benz built in the United States, assembled at a new plant in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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The L405 was the first Range Rover with a fully aluminum monocoque body, cutting up to 420 kg from the outgoing steel-bodied L322.
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Its range-extender variant is rated for 1,200 km on a tank and charge, over three times the car's electric-only range.