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.

モデルモデルイヤー生産台数シャシーエンジントランスミッション合計
ML 270 CDI1999–200112.1999–07.2001163.113612.963173,247
ML 270 CDI2001–200408.2001–12.2004163.113612.963上記に含む
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 320200208.2001–11.2002163.154112.942上記に含む
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 AMG2002–200308.2001–01.2004163.174113.981上記に含む

* 公表された生産台数は当該モデルの全シリーズを合算したもので、出典はそれ以上の内訳を示していません。

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 / 5,750 rpm

    390 N·m

    288 lb·ft / 3,000 rpm

  • 113.981 5.4 L · 5,439 cc

    347 PS

    255 kW · 342 hp / 5,500 rpm

    510 N·m

    376 lb·ft / 2,800 rpm

OM612

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

    163 PS

    120 kW · 161 hp / 4,200 rpm

    370 N·m

    273 lb·ft / 1,600 rpm

M111

Inline-4
  • 111.977 2.3 L · 2,295 cc

    150 PS

    110 kW · 148 hp / 5,400 rpm

    220 N·m

    162 lb·ft / 3,700 rpm

M112

V6
  • 112.942 3.2 L · 3,199 cc

    218 PS

    160 kW · 215 hp / 5,700 rpm

    310 N·m

    229 lb·ft / 3,000 rpm

  • 112.970 3.7 L · 3,724 cc

    235 PS

    173 kW · 232 hp / 5,750 rpm

    345 N·m

    254 lb·ft / 3,000 rpm