Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV · 1st generation M-Class

W163

The original luxury SUV — Mercedes-Benz goes off-road.

Production
1997–2004
Built
647,738
Body
SUV
Chassis
W163
Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV (W163)

The W163 was Mercedes-Benz's first M-Class — the SUV that created an entirely new market segment when it arrived in 1997, blending passenger-car refinement with off-road capability and American-market practicality.

Built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the W163 used body-on-frame construction with independent front suspension and a choice of V6 and V8 petrol engines plus diesel options for Europe. The ML 55 AMG proved Mercedes-Benz was serious about performance in the segment it had invented. It was not a G-Class and not a station wagon — it was something new.

Production ran from 1997 to 2005. The W163 established the luxury SUV template that every rival subsequently copied — and proved Mercedes-Benz could export its values into a format the traditional saloon range could not reach.

W163 interior
Cabin details of the W163, as preserved in period photography.

Every model.

9 model designations across 1997–2005 — engines, chassis codes and production figures for the W163.

ModèleMillésimesProductionChâssisMoteurBoîteTotal
ML 270 CDI1999–200112.1999–07.2001163.113612.963173,247
ML 270 CDI2001–200408.2001–12.2004163.113612.963inclus ci-dessus
ML 2301998–200004.1998–03.2000163.136111.9778,640
ML 3201997–200107.1997–07.2001163.154112.942282,614
ML 4301998–200107.1998–06.2001163.172113.94250,354
ML 320200208.2001–11.2002163.154112.942inclus ci-dessus
ML 400 CDI2001–200409.2001–12.2004163.128628.96319,900
ML 3502003–200511.2002–12.2004163.157112.97069,201
ML 5002002–200508.2001–12.2004163.175113.96432,720
ML 55 AMG1999–200112.1999–07.2001163.174113.98111,089
ML 55 AMG2002–200308.2001–01.2004163.174113.981inclus ci-dessus

* Le chiffre de production publié couvre toutes les séries de ce modèle ; la source ne le détaille pas davantage.

W163 side profile
Studio profile of the W163 — the proportions that defined this chassis.

Year by year.

From the Alabama-built ML 320 to the 1,100-part facelift and final Special Edition — the W163 changes worth knowing.

  1. 1998
    • US sales began with the Tuscaloosa-built ML 320, using a 3.2-litre M112 V6, five-speed automatic and permanent four-wheel drive with 4ETS traction control.
  2. 1999
    • The ML 430 added the 4.3-litre M113 V8; additional W163 production began at Magna Steyr in Graz to meet demand.
  3. 2000
    • The ML 55 AMG became the range flagship with a 342-hp 5.4-litre M113, AMG bodywork, larger brakes, firmer suspension and 18-inch wheels.
  4. 2002
    • A major facelift changed more than 1,100 components, with clear-lens headlamps, revised bumpers and grille, mirror indicators, new tail lamps and a substantially upgraded cabin.
    • Side curtain airbags and revised 4ETS/ESP calibration improved safety; the ML 500 replaced the ML 430 with a 5.0-litre M113 V8.
  5. 2003
    • The ML 350 replaced the ML 320 in the US, using the 3.7-litre M112 V6 and retaining the five-speed automatic.
  6. 2005
    • The Final Edition paired late-production trim and equipment with unique wheels and badging; W163 production ended before the unibody W164 arrived.
W163 rear three-quarter view
Rear three-quarter view of the W163.

Engines.

The M111, M112, M113 and OM612 as fitted to the W163.

M113

V8
  • 113.942 4.3 L · 4,266 cc

    272 PS

    200 kW · 268 hp à 5,750 tr/min

    390 N·m

    288 lb·ft à 3,000 tr/min

  • 113.981 5.4 L · 5,439 cc

    347 PS

    255 kW · 342 hp à 5,500 tr/min

    510 N·m

    376 lb·ft à 2,800 tr/min

OM612

Inline-5 diesel
  • 612.963 2.7 L · 2,685 cc

    163 PS

    120 kW · 161 hp à 4,200 tr/min

    370 N·m

    273 lb·ft à 1,600 tr/min

M111

Inline-4
  • 111.977 2.3 L · 2,295 cc

    150 PS

    110 kW · 148 hp à 5,400 tr/min

    220 N·m

    162 lb·ft à 3,700 tr/min

M112

V6
  • 112.942 3.2 L · 3,199 cc

    218 PS

    160 kW · 215 hp à 5,700 tr/min

    310 N·m

    229 lb·ft à 3,000 tr/min

  • 112.970 3.7 L · 3,724 cc

    235 PS

    173 kW · 232 hp à 5,750 tr/min

    345 N·m

    254 lb·ft à 3,000 tr/min