The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (code name X164) is a full-size SUV built by the German carmaker Mercedes-Benz since 2006. The GL-Class debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. The car was designed for the American market, which is shown by its large size, making it the only similarly-sized rival up against Audi's Q7, along with the redesigned BMW X5, as well as a facelifted Volvo XC90 by that time. It is the seven-passenger counterpart of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. Although the car was designed for the US market, it is also sold in Europe, albeit in far fewer numbers. It competes with the Cadillac Escalade, Range Rover Sport,Range Rover,Infiniti QX56, Hummer H2, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Lincoln Navigator.
It lacks the boxy styling and body-on-frame construction of the G-Class in favor of a modified version of the M-Class's unibody architecture. Many motorists consider it the "Elongated and Wider" version of the recently redesigned M-Class. It is a three-row, seven-passenger crossover SUV with much more luxurious equipment than previous civilian G-Class vehicles. All future GL-Class vehicles will be assembled at either Daimler AG's Alabama factory or Mercedes-Benz's Juárez, Mexico, factory. The GL class was originally intended to replace the 25-year old G-Class model, however due to public and fan outcries, Mercedes Benz had decided to keep the G-Class in production for the foreseeable future and decided to update it for 2006.[citation needed]
Mercedes-Benz introduced its BlueTec diesel system to the GL-Class at the 2006 North American International Auto Show as the GL 320 Bluetec. This system uses urea to clean diesel emissions, making the GL 320 50-state legal in the United States. It went on sale in July 2006, but models with urea injection will only be introduced in 2008.
