After a great start with important sales for the 1997 Mercedes-Benz ML, the company decided to drop a big, performant, 5.5-liter V8 under the hood of its first SUV. And so, the 1999 AMG version of the ML-Class was born.

The body-on-frame idea remained the same, but it was adapted to accommodate full independent suspension, both front, and rear, bolted to sub-frames that were designed to absorb the energy of a collision. There were ten bushings between the bodywork and the sub-frames to reduce the road noise and bumps in the road. For the AMG version, side skirts and painted flared wheel-arches were installed. These created space for 285/50 R18 tires and improved the visual appeal. Standard 9 x 18” light-alloy AMG five-spoke wheels were installed. In the rear, under the redesigned bumper a dual chrome-finish exhaust alluded its AMG provenience.

Inside, the ML featured elements from other Mercedes-Benz cars, such as the steering wheel, the dashboard, buttons, and commands. For the ML 55 AMG, the car featured luxury sports seats with buffalo leather covers, surrounded by dark-brown burr-walnut wood trim and velour carpets. Also included in the standard equipment were xenon headlights, a power tilting/sliding sunroof, and an MB Audio 30 stereo car system.

The 5.5-liter engine was modified from the 5.0-liter V8 from the S-Class. Its high-performance camshafts were designed for motorsport and it offered its peak torque at 2800 rpm, which was very good for a heavy vehicle such as the ML. It was mated to a 5-speed automatic and the standard ESP (Electronic Stability Program) was calibrated for better road-performance.