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Side view emphasises wheel-arch edges and the rising crease on the flanks
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| IMAGE RATING: |
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The old M-Class had perhaps the highest image currency of any upmarket 4x4, at least until the BMW X5 and the current Range Rover came along, because that three-pointed star always overruled the realities of indifferent perceived quality and mediocre road manners. Particularly neat, unadorned, recognisable styling helped. So the new M-Class is pitched into a ready-made reservoir of acceptance. The personality is stronger this time, though, with bulging, crisp-edged wheelarches, a wedgy stance, four-eyed headlights and, in the ML500, a silver backing to the two-bar front grille to give an aggressively toothy look. Front and rear protective undertrays add to the rugged aura, and to complement the Off-Road Pro pack you can have yet tougher-looking bumpers and valances. The new M-Class certainly has presence, but just avoids an excess of aggressive brashness. Its interior is a good mix of standard Benz and off-road references, too, with a pair of padded grab-bars running from the centre armrest to the centre stack.
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