The chassis begins with a rigid and rugged boxed steel frame. This frame provides a full-size truck level of stamina plus a solid platform to mount the refined double wishbone suspension at each wheel. The Alabama plant will be the single production source for the M-Class, producing some 65,000 annually at full capacity, with half for North America. The cargo area is larger that that of Ford Explorer or Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Doors are much larger than on other midsize SUVs, providing easy access for passengers.
At the front, torsion bars work well with sizeable CV-joint half shafts. The rear suspension uses coil springs and beefy axle components. Both ends of the vehicle boast ample sway bars to assure surprisingly quick, stable performance on everything from a slalom course to asphalt roadways. The result is a brisk level of response under the widest range of driving conditions. The single exhaust valve results in lower exhaust heat losses, which increases catalytic converter efficiency for dramatically reduced exhaust emissions.