Mercedes ups powerplant

The Mercedes-Benz ML 500 has undergone surgery to insert the 285kW V8 petrol engine under its more shapely hood.

Benz claims the new powerplant is more refined and produces more power using less fuel.

The 5.5-litre V8 engine has an extra 60kW of power and 60Nm of torque over the outgoing five-litre engine.

The seven-speed automatic transmission remains unchanged but the 0-100km/h time has dropped to 5.8 seconds and the governed top speed is 210km/h.

Benz says the new drivetrain combination also returns better fuel economy figures of 12.9 litres/100km, down from 13.4 litres/100km.

The rest of the M-Class features remain unchanged, with a double-wishbone suspension using the Airmatic air system.

The ML500 has the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system as standard; with traction and stability control; or for more serious off-road drivers, it can be optioned up with the Off-Road Pro engineering package.

This package adds two manually selectable differential locks; a low-range transfer case and a reinforced rear-axle differential.

The M-Class range has anti-lock brakes, eight airbags, active head restraints and the brand's award-winning Pre-Safe occupant protection system.

Mercedes-Benz says the M-Class is the first car in its class to offer this technology, which uses its ABS and stability control sensors to detect an imminent impact before it occurs.

The car then prepares all its passive safety features, primes the airbags and seat belts, and closes windows and the sunroof to maximise the level of occupant protection.