NAPA VALLEY, Calif. – If you’re not getting better at what you’re doing every day, you’re not going to be around for long. That’s the philosophy that underpins the development and production of the all-new 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450, introduced to the world’s motoring press in northern California. The just-off-the-assembly-line GL-Class, this German automaker’s third all-new or upgraded entrant into the light truck segment in the past 12 months, took us 500 miles on a variety of rain-soaked roads and mud-caked trails, and after sitting in all seven seats of this new model for hours at a time, we can tell you that this late entry into the highly-competitive, luxury SUV segment is clearly an example of doing your homework for the U.S. mindset and premium standard of living – and, in this case, passing the test.

Mercedes-Benz has been busy expanding its arsenal of sport/utility models, developing a range of products capable of capturing the attention of just about any SUV buyer with three-point aspirations. The mostly conventional, volume-selling ML-Class, now in its second generation, competes in the midsize segment of the market, against entrants from BMW, Cadillac, Land Rover, Lexus, Porsche, Volkswagen, and Volvo. New for 2006, the somewhat unclassifiable R-Class combines minivan, crossover SUV and sports sedan attributes into one stylish people- and cargo-hauler that hovers on the car-end of the vehicular continuum. And, despite it utilitarian nature and high dollar pricing, the Austrian-built G500 soldiers on, not only for the military in Afghanistan but also for serious off-roaders and status-seekers in America.

Now, for 2007, customers in higher income brackets that desire or need a fashionable full-sized SUV will discover an entirely new star-adorned sport-ute – the sleek yet masculine GL-Class, with front and rear skid plates that are both functional and symbolic of its mission. Trying to stem the loss of loyalists with M-B sedans in their driveways, whose lifestyles call for cargo-carrying, people-ferrying or towing, Mercedes hopes to cull buyers who would also consider mainstream players like the Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator, as well as other Asian and European models such as the Hummer H2, Infiniti QX56, or Land Rover Range Rover. Mercedes-Benz says the GL is the first unit-body, full-sized sport-ute in its class, with comparisons and scopes set on Escalade and Navigator buyers, in particular. However, by our standards, which require a full-sizer to offer at least 90 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity, the GL doesn’t stack up against these bigger boxes on wheels.

Nevertheless, the GL-Class has been engineered for large families who have big toys, equipped out of the box with Class IV, 7,500-pound towing capability. That’s enough grunt to haul a three-horse trailer or a 30-foot boat. Other selling points are its refined ride and handling; capable V8 engine and the first seven-speed automatic transmission in this class; a luxurious interior with elbow room and techno-savvy gadgets; hill holding and programmable downhill speed control technology; and an available Off-Road Package that includes low-range gearing, two locking differentials, height-adjustable suspension and more aggressive tires. While exact pricing has not been announced, a Mercedes-Benz sales executive pegged the base price starting in the “upper $50,000’s” and with add-ons, we would say it will likely top out in the high seventies. The 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450 will go on sale in May.