It has been revealed that the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL will get a twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine. The entry-level petrol version of the GL is currently powered by a 4.7-litre twin-turbocharged V8 unit, which will be ditched in favour of this new engine, both in the European and American markets. The price of the car has been pegged at EUR 76,160 in Germany which is equivalent to Rs 63.47 lakh. Bookings of the car have already started with deliveries set to begin by the first week of September.
Internally called M276 DELA 30, the 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine will be available in two different tunes of power for different markets. While the engine will produce 333bhp and 480Nm of torque in the GL400 for the European market, the US-only GL 450 will churn out 367bhp and 550Nm of torque.
While this might seem like a downgrade, these power figures are very similar to that produced by the old V8. Also, the lack of two cylinders and the lesser displacement means the V6 will return better efficiency and emission figures. The engine will be mated to a 9G-Tronic transmission, powering all four wheels through a 4MATIC system. The engine will also make its way into future M-Class, C-Class and SLK models.
While the Mercedes-Benz GL has been available in India for quite a while now, the only petrol in the lineup, the GL63 AMG, was launched last month. The high performance GL63 is powered by a 5.5 litre V8 AMG unit, which churns out 550bhp and 760Nm of torque. This kind of power can be more than a handful for some people, and the customers who need a more ‘sane’ version are only left only with the option of the diesel version, GL 350 CDI. Launching the new petrol V6 engine in India makes a lot of sense as it will help Mercedes-Benz cover a wider audience. Also, as the GL is locally assembled, it will also help keep the prices lower than the CBU GL63, which carries a price tag of Rs 1.66 crore (ex-showroom Delhi).
