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The M-Class sports a new face for 2009, with a larger main grille that extends deeper into a new front bumper. The air slot beneath the grille is now larger as well, and turns up at the ends like a jagged smile. A subtle step at the lower inside corner of each headlamp cluster dips down to meet the upturned ends of this opening. The fog light surrounds are bolder, and the skid plate at the bottom of the bumper is wider. In short, all of the ML's facial features (even the outside mirrors) are bigger, trading some of the previous model's smoothness for the look of enhanced aggression apparently adored by SUV buyers.The rear bumper is re-contoured also, and now incorporates recessed red reflectors below the taillight clusters, and a stainless-steel skid plate that wraps around rectangular dual exhausts. Here, it seems, there's just plain more to look at. As before, the V8 models have a look all their own. The new stepped headlamps are shared, but the 550's new front bumper is even deeper and more blunt. A pair of plain rectangular air slots seem to emphasize its mass more than relieve it. Front and rear, a corrugated skid plate curls up from underneath. In profile, all ML model wheel arches loom large and prominent. There's an unmistakable character line rising front to rear, and a forward-slanting C-pillar that frames trapezoidal rear side glass. A high-tech scratch resistant paint, embedded with thousands of flecks of ceramic, is standard. It should be welcomed by those owners who actually decide to challenge overgrown trails, or those who share their garages with kids, toys and bicycles. The Premium 1 Package includes an optional power liftgate operated with the key fob. Several cargo organizing devices are available as accessories. The 2009 ML63 AMG is not as readily distinguished from the ML550 as in the past. The divider between the upper and lower cooling slots in its front bumper is black rather than body color, suggesting one huge opening (an aesthetic improvement); and its 20-inch wheels feature a five-spoke design with intriguing three-dimensional curves. Quad oval exhausts provide some distinction at the rear.
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