A redesigned 2006 M-Class is set to bow in Detroit at the January 2005 North American International Auto Show. No word on when sales begin, but industry moles have confirmed the new design's broad outlines. For starters, construction goes from body-on-frame to unibody, and the familiar 5-passenger wagon gets a 7-seat companion measuring some 204 inches long overall. The 7-seaters may be badged MLV. Regular or super-size, the new Ms reportedly boast standard air suspension for a smoother on-road ride, and should offer Mercedes' latest techno-gadgets such as "smart" cruise control, steering-linked headlamps, and perhaps Active Body Control anti-lean suspension. Both versions should offer a 5.0-liter V8 making around 306 hp. A 3.5-liter V6 likely remains standard for the 5-seater and may power an "MLV350". Mercedes' new 7-speed automatic should be the only transmission. High-performance AMG editions are a sure bet down the road. Parts of the new M-Class design also serve a totally reworked G-Class SUV and a new, more car-like crossover wagon called R-Class. All will be built at Mercedes' Alabama plant. Keep checking back with us for late-breaking news.

Meantime, a baby M called X-Class reportedly bows in 2005 with many underskin components borrowed from Mercedes' C-Class compact cars. UK reports indicate scaled-down M-Class styling, an overall length of around 177 inches, and standard 4-Matic all-wheel drive. A 3.5-liter V6 is likely to be U.S.-standard, though it could be optional to a smaller base V6. A hot V8 version should appear sometime later, as Mercedes has allegedly registered the names X55 and X63. Again, keep checking back with us for all the latest.