Mercedes-Benz M-Class (12 on) - Review

For a premium off-roader, comfort should be one of its key selling points. Mercedes interiors are now more modern than they have been in the past so not only are they luxurious but come with an updated design. There is good leg- and headroom for all passengers though three adults in the rear seats will be cosy. There are dual climate controls up front and air vents in the rear. Heated and cooled seats are optional extras and the steering wheel has manual adjustment for height and reach so you can find the optimum driving position for you.

A large premier 4x4 will always score well when it comes to practicality. There is plenty of room for five adults even on longer journeys thanks to greater passenger room over the previous model. The new ML gets a bigger boot and with the rear seats folded Mercedes is claiming to set a new benchmark for space with 2,010 litres. There is a ski-load hatch in the rear seats and plenty of cubbies around the car including front door pockets that will swallow a one-litre bottle. There's optional temperature-controlled cup holders to keep drinks warm or hot depending on requirements. Front seats come with electrically controlled, multi adjustments and the rear seats can be adjusted for tilt.

Much of the dash layout is familiar Mercedes-Benz fare. The mono stalk that operates the indicators and windscreen wipers, the cruise control stalk plus the button on the steering column to adjust the steering wheel position are all there but because they are all mounted on the left-hand side it's easy to catch your hand on a control you don’t want. There is a bit of a feeling of being on a flight deck with the myriad heating, audio and car info buttons on the central dash plus a series of buttons on the central console between the front seats. It seems complicated at first but it is easy to learn where the essential controls are.