With the new ML-Class unwrapped and ready for launch, Mercedes-Benz engineers have turned their development attention on the SUV’s more spacious sibling with three-rows of seats, the GL-Class.
The development test car pictured is still hiding under a lot of camouflage but it’s not particularly hard to imagine what the second-generation of the GL-Class will look like given that it is based on the 2012 ML.
Underneath the sheetmetal, the GL-Class rides on stretched version of the 2012 ML’s platform, which is also shared with the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango.
The engine lineup will be similar to the ML-Class including a 240-horsepower V6 diesel and a brand new direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 gasoline unit delivering 302-horsepower.
It’s also believed that Mercedes will eventually offer the GL-Class with a hybrid powertrain with plug-in capability.
We expect to see the production model in showrooms sometime in 2012.
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