This September marks the ten-year anniversary of the M-Class, the first SUV built by Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. To help celebrate this important milestone, Mercedes-Benz is launching a special limited edition of its popular M-Class sport utility that’s appropriately badged “Edition 10.” The V6-powered ML350 Edition 10 model features a unique Birch Wood and Macadamia and Black leather interior with an aluminum instrument cluster and sport pedals.
With 1,000 vehicles scheduled to be offered in the U.S., the limited-production Edition 10 comes in a choice of Obsidian Black or Arctic White paint with eye-catching black headlight surrounds, tinted tail lights and a chrome shadow finish on the grille as well as the front and rear skid plates. Its exterior and interior are finished with aluminum “Edition 10″ badging and floor mats.
Limited-Production M-Class Edition 10 Loaded with Features
In addition to its exclusive exterior and interior finish, the Edition 10 comes with an enhanced list of standard equipment. A rear-view camera, GPS navigation, power liftgate, rain-sensor wipers and heated front seats are all standard, along with a harman/kardon premium audio system with six-disc CD changer, rear audio controls, Sirius satellite radio and an integrated hands-free phone system.
The new ML350 Edition 10 is part of the 2008 M-Class family that includes the fuel-efficient ML320 CDI diesel with a 215-hp V-6 engine, the ML350 (the most popular M-Class model) with a 268-hp V-6, the powerful new ML550 with a 382-hp V-8, and the high-performance ML63 AMG with a 503-hp V-8. The M-Class line features a sleek exterior with a unibody platform and four-wheel independent suspension that deliver impressive on-road driving performance and comfort. Useful technology abounds in the M-Class, including a standard seven-speed automatic transmission, full-time four-wheel-drive and four-wheel traction control.
The First Sport Utility That Drove Like a Mercedes
When the 1998 Mercedes-Benz M-Class first arrived, the new sport utility vehicle started a trend that inspired the entire auto industry to shift toward more luxurious car-like SUVs. Launched as the only sport utility in its class with four-wheel independent suspension, the original M-Class was one of the first to be designed from the ground up, rather than being based on an existing truck platform. The first-generation M-Class won many awards, including the prestigious North American Truck of the Year.
During the eight-year life cycle of the first-generation vehicle, more than 570,000 M-Class SUVs were produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with about half of them sold in the U.S. The second-generation M-Class reasserted its industry leadership in a highly competitive market that had grown dramatically since the launch of the original Mercedes-Benz SUV.
