One of South Africa’s best-kept Christmas holiday secrets is, believe it or not, Johannesburg. Most Gauties flock to the coast, leaving Jo’burg streets almost empty and an absolute pleasure to drive on — except for the occasional encounter with a kamikaze Durban driver.
Those on the coast constantly lament Gauties’ aggressive driving style, but it has to be said that some Durban drivers regard Gauteng as a sort of lawless parallel universe. All it proves is that there’s a collective stupidity in South Africa.
Despite encounters with reckless idiots, the festive period was the perfect time to enjoy the new Mercedes-Benz M-Class 320 CDi.
The new model isn’t a radical departure from its predecessor, but the changes are enough to separate it from the previous model.
It has an understated aggressive look, like a bouncer in a tuxedo — with muscular bulges in all the right places, but its presentation is quite neat. It displays an almost elegant design while drawing attention to the fact that it’s a far more serious off-roader than the previous M-Class. That is, of course, if you fork out the extra R31 000 for the off-road package, which includes Airmatic suspension to give you the option to drop the vehicle by up to 15mm when travelling at high speeds.
Inside, the new M-Class has just about everything you could need to make the drive as comfortable as the most exquisite of luxury saloons.
The interior layout has a retro style to it, particularly up front. The rev counter and speedometer have rounded-off metal trims, a motif that comes through on the multi-function steering wheel and in moderation throughout the interior of the vehicle. Leather upholstery is standard and there’s ample room for five tall adults.
Creature comforts include dual-zone climatronic airconditioning, heated electronically adjustable front seats, a tyre pressure monitor and a gear lever attached to the right side of the steering column.
The gearbox used is the phenomenal 7G-Tronic, which can be converted to manual mode with the controls for changing gears behind the steering wheel.
The tailgate, which opens by remote, features a safety mechanism that ensures that it will stop while it is closing if your pesky sprog decides to put its hand in the way.
The new M-Class has a higher clearance than the previous model, with an all-new suspension that features coil springs all-round.
Safety features include ABS with brake assist, ESP Plus, traction control, roll-over and crash sensors and dual-pressure front, side and window airbags.
Powered by a 3,2 litre V6 turbo- diesel engine that pushes out 165 kW, the ML320 CDi proved to be very driveable on a variety of road surfaces. In fact, it was only when the 17-inch 235mm tyres were squealing through a demanding set of twisties that I had to remind myself to drive with the usual caution one would exercise with an SUV. Its on-road and off-road manners are exceptional in its class.
The manufacturer claims a top speed of 210kph and fuel consumption of about nine litres per 100km.
The clever design is deceptive, for it remains a huge vehicle — but one that is astoundingly easy to move around.
I slipped into parking bays leaving ample room on either side; I managed to stay on my side of the road at all times and never got into a situation that was difficult to get out of. It might have taken me slightly longer to achieve perfect parking than in a normal-size vehicle, but all this made me realise just how lazy and inconsiderate most SUV drivers are.
How often have you seen an SUV hogging two bays in a parking lot by straddling the line? And how many times have you hugged the walls in a townhouse complex as an SUV barrels down the middle of both lanes?
Buyers of these vehicles should be obliged to go on a course to learn how to drive the behemonths.
Other models in the new M-Class range are the ML 350, with a 3,5-litre V6 engine, and the ML 500, with a V8 engine. The range-topping ML 63 AMG, with a 6,3-litre V8, will be available at the end of the year.
The Mercedes-Benz range now comes standard with the new MobiloDrive maintenance plan, which ensures that you do not pay for services, repairs and certain wear-and-tear items for the first 60 000km.
Fact file
Model: ML320 CDi
Price: R535 000
Engine: 3,2litre V6 turbo-diesel
Tech: 165 kW, 510Nm
Top speed: 210kph, zero to 100kph in 9,4sec
Tank: 95 litres
Services: 20 000km