New 2016 Mercedes GLE-Class SUV comes to replace your ML-Class

When the original Mercedes-Benz M-Class came forth in 1998 — from a factory in Alabama, of all places — there was a certain amount of skepticism. Sure, it looked the part, and it mostly drove like one, but would German luxury buyers really take to a high-riding SUV?

Today, it's safe to ask whether luxury buyers really want anything else. Where it once stood alone, the Mercedes-Benz midsize SUV is now one of roughly 20 such models for sale in the United States. And despite having its best sales year ever in 2014 — at 46,726 copies — the M-Class was passed by the BMW X5 and the lighter, less expensive models from Asian luxury makes.