i cant seem to find a decent picture of this, which will come out mid to end qt of 2005 of the M class, MLX?

 

See this thread:

https://mbworld.org/forums/m-class-w163/78674-06-m-class-g-class-r-class-b-class-smart-formore.html

However, as Wolfgang points out, and as a few of my own sources have as well, it does appear that the vehicles labeled as the LWB M-Class may actually just be the new G under different disguise patterns.

And it seems like the SWB W164 is a bit smaller than the current ML (it will only have 5 seats) - in other words, the new G is what the LWB M-Class would have been, just with more rugged styling and higher-spec 4WD equipment. It's essentially an ML-G rather than a 'real' new G. The current G's production (mainly for military uses) will be contracted out to Tempo, an Indian manufacturer, once the Magna-Steyr contract is over in a little while.

 

Yes, 5 seats are standard, but the new ML (SWB) will be longer than the current ML, increasing the wheelbase by 3" to 114" and the overall length by 8" to 189". The new one should also be about 2-3" wider.

MB is thinking about a military version of the new G to keep up in the very competitive government/military market. It would have mods similar to those currently offered, see link

http://www.panzerbaer.de/helper/bw_agf_mb_g270cdi-a.htm

 

Hmm - I haven't heard that before. I would think it'd be much harder to make a military version of the new G, as the design is much less rugged than the current one - it has a more 'soft,' consumer-ish feel, similar to the M-Class, rather than the G, which is a military vehicle with an upgraded interior, electronics, etc. for the civilian version.

For a military version of the new G, MB would probably have to create an entirely new interior, likely redesign more than a few exterior parts (as it's all pretty flimsy sheetmetal right now - much more like the ML than the G), and strengthen parts of the chassis, drivetrain, etc. Keeping the current military G in production would be quite a bit easier as an alternative to creating a version of the new one. The advantage to the latter, of course, would be having a brand-new vehicle with a much more up-to-date design, and a much larger one at that...