A rather special ride
Mercedes-Benz ML 280 CDI
For some years the most prestigious European car manufacturers have understood that their market share depends on a holistic approach to gathering the maximum number of happy owners practicable, and to do this while many different designs and models continue to roll off their production lines, in as profitable manner as possible to continue to make sound commercial sense.
The majority of models that come from the Mercedes factories are two-wheel driven, with all the power being shunted through the rear wheels onto the tarmac. It may come as something of a surprise, therefore, to find out how well-driven the permanent four-wheel drive ML 280 is, and how well-balanced (split 50:50 front to rear).
In full passenger mode this SUV carries five people in the sort of comfort that owners demand from their favourite marque, and yet the luggage space still commands immense respect, with a minimum width of 1,027 mm and a length from 813 mm to 1,063 mm in standard five-seat configuration.
Factually, the luggage area can hold anything between 551 and 2,050 litres for those of our readers who can visualise such large spaces.
That is, of course, merely the starting point because the rear row of seats can be reduced by one, two, or even all three, which then allows a minimum length of carriage floor of 1,703 mm.
Apart from the fact that this car is most visually appealing, with its gently sloping bonnet, allowing great forward visibility and A-pillars that provide a minimal blind spot, you then work forward to the rugged front end with vents and slots galore, aggressivelooking light clusters and a fine radiator grill, especially the silver one in AMG body styling.
The profile is in total and harmonious balance, made possibly more interesting with the heavily tinted rear windows, and then the rear end, the view that most other motorists will become familiar with, catches and holds the attention of all but the most uninterested.
With the boot open, the kicking strips can readily be appreciated and, as for those monumentally-pleasing exhaust pipes and chromed anti-scratch strip, this car is visually a total wow.
This vehicle is so much more than the traditional 'Sloan Ranger' SUV, the commonly found multi-seat chariot that has looks, little real style, and a dismal off-road performance rating, but looks great taking up two parking spaces in hard-pressed town centres.
The ML 280 CDI is most properly designed from the floor pan up, combining a most sturdy passenger cell beautifully crafted to protect the occupants by virtue of its massive energy-absorbing front end crumple zones, reinforced doors, state-of-the-art seat belts, multi-stage airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with brake assist (BAS), electronic stability programme (ESP) and an electronic traction system for all-wheel-drive (4ETS). This vehicle promises to deliver the goods.
Obviously, when you have to climb aboard your vehicle and take stock of the road ahead from a seat height of 745 mm from the road surface, the sense of safety and security is magnified multi-times when compared with lads and lasses almost lying prone in a variety of superb sports cars that are available today but have little ground clearance and minimalist seats as well.
The interior is set in superb ergonomic mode so all the instruments are readily in sight and all the switches come readily to hand. Nothing comes easier than getting entirely comfortable and 'as one' with this well-planned interior, and for normal motoring the gear stalk to the right of the steering wheel is set to 'drive' and the seven-speed automatic box then takes the fuss out of hauling around the countryside.
Because of the country route chosen for this test drive, most of the driving was done in purely automatic mode with the THERMATIC automatic climate control, keeping the interior to a decent 23°C, with an outside temperature reading between 36°C - 38.5°C.
Enthusiastic drivers can also change gear using small gearshift buttons behind the steering wheel, a pretty useful object with multi-function buttons, which allow you to control the radio and answer the phone as well.
I admit to having a penchant for gentle runs far from the surfaced road. By operating the off-road switch in the centre console all the electronic systems required to capitalise on our unsurfaced tracks are primed, and another switch operates the downhill speed regulation (DSR).
This is a fantastic aid when plunging down an unsurfaced track when it's in 'slippery' mode. Unfortunately I could only imagine many centimetres of mud and water, and thereby lost a little of the excitement, especially as I was fully aware that in standard form the 'fording depth' is between 500 mm and 600 mm. If I had got stuck, my car came equipped with a convenient sunshine roof - a stylish means of exit.
Among the equipment packages is an 'Off Road - Pro engineering package', which has been specially designed for serious owners who really do want to use the car in the most adverse conditions on unsurfaced tracks.
Not surprisingly, this car seems to enjoy being given a run off the tarmacked bye-ways, and funnily enough these surfaces were generally in better condition than some of the lesser tertiary roads in the Rabat or Dingli council areas that confounded me by appearing to be more potholed than surfaced.
After all, the idea was to test drive the vehicle away from the major, or even minor, much-used roads, and let the car find its pace on the sort of tracks that would be used and the family to enjoy a picnic.
Somewhere on board one finds the car comes equipped with cruise control and Speedtronic variable speed limiter, which, we are told, makes for a relaxed and enjoyable drive, but owing to the short distances I travelled on our major roads, I tried it not.
No matter the terrain, the steering response was superb and with a total turning circle of only 11.6 m this Mercedes-Benz is up there with the best.
The ML 280 TDI comes with a totally contemporary commonrail diesel engine with new piezo injectors for ever more accurate metering of the fuel, which is now injected at up to 1,600 bar through nozzles which have eight holes for ultra fine injection.
This is a V6, displacing 2,987 cc. Ok, so she weighs in at 2,185 kilos (over two tonnes), but even so the car wafts up to 100 km/h in a pretty good 9.8 seconds, topping out at a lovely 205 km/h (the top gun, petrol-driven ML 500 with its 4,966 cc V8 gets to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, and will reach 240 km/h using all of its 306 bhp).
What is more impressive is its torque (pulling power) - 440 Nm at between 1,400 and 2,800 rpm.
Combined fuel consumption averages at 12.7-12.9 litres per 100 km and she carries a fuel load of 95 litres, including 13 litres in reserve.
Important measurements
• Standard fording depth: 500-600 mm.
• Angle of approach/departure: 27°/26°
• Min. ground clearance: 210-223 mm.
• Overall length: 4,780 mm.
• Body width: 1,911 mm; with mirrors extended: 2,127 mm.
• Height: 1,815 mm to top of roof rails; 1,779 mm from ground to roof level.
The majority of models that come from the Mercedes factories are two-wheel driven, with all the power being shunted through the rear wheels onto the tarmac. It may come as something of a surprise, therefore, to find out how well-driven the permanent four-wheel drive ML 280 is, and how well-balanced (split 50:50 front to rear).
In full passenger mode this SUV carries five people in the sort of comfort that owners demand from their favourite marque, and yet the luggage space still commands immense respect, with a minimum width of 1,027 mm and a length from 813 mm to 1,063 mm in standard five-seat configuration.
Factually, the luggage area can hold anything between 551 and 2,050 litres for those of our readers who can visualise such large spaces.
That is, of course, merely the starting point because the rear row of seats can be reduced by one, two, or even all three, which then allows a minimum length of carriage floor of 1,703 mm.
Apart from the fact that this car is most visually appealing, with its gently sloping bonnet, allowing great forward visibility and A-pillars that provide a minimal blind spot, you then work forward to the rugged front end with vents and slots galore, aggressivelooking light clusters and a fine radiator grill, especially the silver one in AMG body styling.
The profile is in total and harmonious balance, made possibly more interesting with the heavily tinted rear windows, and then the rear end, the view that most other motorists will become familiar with, catches and holds the attention of all but the most uninterested.
With the boot open, the kicking strips can readily be appreciated and, as for those monumentally-pleasing exhaust pipes and chromed anti-scratch strip, this car is visually a total wow.
This vehicle is so much more than the traditional 'Sloan Ranger' SUV, the commonly found multi-seat chariot that has looks, little real style, and a dismal off-road performance rating, but looks great taking up two parking spaces in hard-pressed town centres.
The ML 280 CDI is most properly designed from the floor pan up, combining a most sturdy passenger cell beautifully crafted to protect the occupants by virtue of its massive energy-absorbing front end crumple zones, reinforced doors, state-of-the-art seat belts, multi-stage airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with brake assist (BAS), electronic stability programme (ESP) and an electronic traction system for all-wheel-drive (4ETS). This vehicle promises to deliver the goods.
Obviously, when you have to climb aboard your vehicle and take stock of the road ahead from a seat height of 745 mm from the road surface, the sense of safety and security is magnified multi-times when compared with lads and lasses almost lying prone in a variety of superb sports cars that are available today but have little ground clearance and minimalist seats as well.
The interior is set in superb ergonomic mode so all the instruments are readily in sight and all the switches come readily to hand. Nothing comes easier than getting entirely comfortable and 'as one' with this well-planned interior, and for normal motoring the gear stalk to the right of the steering wheel is set to 'drive' and the seven-speed automatic box then takes the fuss out of hauling around the countryside.
Because of the country route chosen for this test drive, most of the driving was done in purely automatic mode with the THERMATIC automatic climate control, keeping the interior to a decent 23°C, with an outside temperature reading between 36°C - 38.5°C.
Enthusiastic drivers can also change gear using small gearshift buttons behind the steering wheel, a pretty useful object with multi-function buttons, which allow you to control the radio and answer the phone as well.
I admit to having a penchant for gentle runs far from the surfaced road. By operating the off-road switch in the centre console all the electronic systems required to capitalise on our unsurfaced tracks are primed, and another switch operates the downhill speed regulation (DSR).
This is a fantastic aid when plunging down an unsurfaced track when it's in 'slippery' mode. Unfortunately I could only imagine many centimetres of mud and water, and thereby lost a little of the excitement, especially as I was fully aware that in standard form the 'fording depth' is between 500 mm and 600 mm. If I had got stuck, my car came equipped with a convenient sunshine roof - a stylish means of exit.
Among the equipment packages is an 'Off Road - Pro engineering package', which has been specially designed for serious owners who really do want to use the car in the most adverse conditions on unsurfaced tracks.
Not surprisingly, this car seems to enjoy being given a run off the tarmacked bye-ways, and funnily enough these surfaces were generally in better condition than some of the lesser tertiary roads in the Rabat or Dingli council areas that confounded me by appearing to be more potholed than surfaced.
After all, the idea was to test drive the vehicle away from the major, or even minor, much-used roads, and let the car find its pace on the sort of tracks that would be used and the family to enjoy a picnic.
Somewhere on board one finds the car comes equipped with cruise control and Speedtronic variable speed limiter, which, we are told, makes for a relaxed and enjoyable drive, but owing to the short distances I travelled on our major roads, I tried it not.
No matter the terrain, the steering response was superb and with a total turning circle of only 11.6 m this Mercedes-Benz is up there with the best.
The ML 280 TDI comes with a totally contemporary commonrail diesel engine with new piezo injectors for ever more accurate metering of the fuel, which is now injected at up to 1,600 bar through nozzles which have eight holes for ultra fine injection.
This is a V6, displacing 2,987 cc. Ok, so she weighs in at 2,185 kilos (over two tonnes), but even so the car wafts up to 100 km/h in a pretty good 9.8 seconds, topping out at a lovely 205 km/h (the top gun, petrol-driven ML 500 with its 4,966 cc V8 gets to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, and will reach 240 km/h using all of its 306 bhp).
What is more impressive is its torque (pulling power) - 440 Nm at between 1,400 and 2,800 rpm.
Combined fuel consumption averages at 12.7-12.9 litres per 100 km and she carries a fuel load of 95 litres, including 13 litres in reserve.
Important measurements
• Standard fording depth: 500-600 mm.
• Angle of approach/departure: 27°/26°
• Min. ground clearance: 210-223 mm.
• Overall length: 4,780 mm.
• Body width: 1,911 mm; with mirrors extended: 2,127 mm.
• Height: 1,815 mm to top of roof rails; 1,779 mm from ground to roof level.