BoBcanada

Hey when is the facelift due on ML? There's already spy pix of it around the net. Anyone knows?

blazinginder

my guess would be MY 2010 at earliest

Germancar1

2009 model year.

M

stevenW211

The latter, the better.
The spare tyre on the tailgate from the facelifted pic really sucks.

blazinginder

stevenw211...mind posting a link to the pic you're talkin about, thanks

AR.Shah

september 2009..

stevenW211

Sure!! Enjoy this pic of facelifted ML !!

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9071206....facelift-spied

blazinginder

yikes...doesn't look so hot with that wheel (which btw won't be coming to the US most likely) but doesn't look like that big of a change if you ask me

jerseyMLdriver

What is with the extra wheel? Is that an extra bumper for tailgaters in NJ traffic?

Floobydust

I think it's a decoy. Notice that the wheel doesn't match the ones on the car. And do you think the lift gate could cope with the weight of such an object when opening/closing? If this car is a factory test mule then the rear could be filled with electronic monitoring and other goodies thus taking up the space where the spare would normally be. Putting the spare on the back solves that problem and also covers up details and/or distracts people.

- FD

chilledbenz

That spare tire on the back could be the real deal. The pics of the GLK have shown up, they are using it in a new Sex and the City movie, so its ready for production. The GLK is offered as a GLK 350, so what would keep the current ML 350 around if people could get the same interior space (five adults) for less money. The spare tire on the back would make room for a third row of seating in the ML to then move it higher up in interior room, and make room for a smaller GLK.

Floobydust

I agree. After looking more carefully at the pic I can see that the bumper skirt has been redesigned to accommodate a rotate away spare tire rack. I think M-B would be unlikely to go to the expense of that just for a decoy. And a kinderseat rear-facing rear seat like that in the E class wagons would fit nicely in the spare tire area. But an outboard spare and having to move it each time you get into the back area seems like a lot of trouble for both M-B and the owner. It seems like run-flat tires might be a better choice. Maybe both configurations will be available.

- FD

08ML320CDI

F- on the spare tire

red00lght

That is just plain ugly. I'm still trying to get used to the looks of the one on the back of my wife's Rav4 but that takes the cake!