2013 looks to be a good year for the Mercedes GL. The 7-seater SUV, which sold an impressive 25,000 units in the US last year, has received a glowing first drive report from Motor Trend and gained tennis champ Roger Federer as a pitchman.
The 2012 Wimbledon champion will appear in an ad campaign centered around him that includes print, social media, TV, and event components. The campaign and the GL will be launched in concert with the US Open, which occurs August 27 to September 9 in Flushing, New York.
The theme of the ads is "Many Rogers", and reflects the several roles Federer plays in life: athlete, celebrity, and dad. The campaign will show how Federer's GL serves him well in all three.
The print campaign will contain the tagline "Proud holder of 16 Majors, 74 Singles titles and twin daughters"; and will run in The New York Times, USA Today, Tennis Magazine and the official US Open tournament program. The tagline was selected by Federer's fans on Facebook in a contest in June.
The Roger Federer and MBUSA Facebook pages will feature a "behind the scenes" making of "Many Rogers" video, tournament updates, and GL vehicle footage.
Mercedes is both the vehicle and presenting sponsor of the US Open Men's Single Championship, as part of a four-year deal with the Open that commenced in 2010.
For 2013 the GL has undergone alterations that Motor Trend, which just tested the SUV, says make it "now the unquestioned technological leader in its class" and make the Cadillac Escalade "look like a covered wagon in terms of build and material quality."
Though bigger and with more options than the previous-generation GL, the 2013 is more than 220 pounds lighter. It has a more efficient powertrain than its predecessor, and increased driver-assist features.
These include electricity-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, and an optional parking-assist system that searches for available parallel parking spaces and, after it finds them, takes over the car's steering so that the driver only has to handle the acceleration and braking.
New safety features include a collision prevention assist system, adaptive break technology, crosswind stabilization, and mbrace2 telematics. An active curve system minimizes lean; and an active lane keeping system and attention assist program help keep the driver alert and awake.
An active blind spot assist program notifies the GL driver of turn signals in the blind spot, and steps in to brake if the driver doesn't heed.
Motor Trend could not praise enough its speed, ride, handling, safety, and quietness.
"The GL is already the segment leader and will continue this tradition as it now offers more room, more amenities, more power and more safety - more of everything that our full-size luxury SUV customers could want and expect from a Mercedes-Benz," Bernie Glaser, marketing VP for Mercedes-Benz USA, said in a statement. "The GL-Class cradles its occupants with the first-class comfort of a luxurious sedan."
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