2011 Mercedes ML-, GL, R Class Diesels Still Advertised on US Site, Sort Of

These pages should have been removed many years ago.

Let’s celebrate like it’s 2011, because the Mercedes ML and GL models, as well as R-Class, are back with diesel engines. It’s not true. Redditor and Moo_Fridge found a few pages from the US that still featured the SUVs and the unloved Minivan-wagon. This time capsule is a reminder that Mercedes used to sell diesel passenger vehicles in the United States. It ended around 2018.

The ML is long gone. In 2015, the was introduced. This was before the luxury mid-size SUV moved to the new generation at the end of 2018.

Mercedes USA ended production of the R-Class family car in 2013 and pulled out. The “Grand Sports Tourer”, however, continued to be sold in other markets up until 2017. It was a “Grand Sports Tourer” that continued to operate in other markets until 2017.

2011 Mercedes ML-, GL, R Class Diesels Still Advertised on US Site, Sort Of

Mercedes isn’t abandoning diesel propulsion in the United States. The company’s commercial arm will still sell an oil-burner. You can choose from a four-cylinder, 2.1-liter diesel that produces 161 horsepower and 266 pounds-feet (361Nm) of torque, or a larger 3.0-liter V6 with 188 HP and 325 Lb-ft (441Nm).

After violating California’s Clean Air Act and California’s emissions cheating laws, the diesel-powered Sprinter had a difficult life. Daimler, its parent company, agreed to a $1.5 billion settlement. Between 2009 and 2016, approximately 250,000 diesel vans, and some passenger cars, were sold with defeat devices. This allowed them to comply with emissions regulations while producing higher NOx emissions in actual driving.

Mercedes announced plans to review its extensive lineup. This could potentially reduce models, engines, platforms. Diesel engines are less likely to be extinct than gasoline engines, as Europe’s emissions regulations become more strict. In September 2020, the combined demand for pure electric models and hybrids in Europe exceeded diesel sales. This signals that the golden age of the diesel engine has ended.