(April 4, 2012) NEW YORK — The redesigned 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class was unveiled today at the New York Auto Show  with a range-topping GL550 now delivering 429 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The 2013 GL-Class goes on sale in September.

Mercedes will offer three variants of the seven-passenger GL-Class, all of them with reworked engines and all of them fitted with 4Matic all-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The GL350 Bluetec is powered by a revised 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel now rated at 240 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque, providing 0-60 acceleration in 8.3 seconds.

The midrange GL450 gets a twin-turbocharged, direct-injection 4.7-liter gasoline V8 rated at 362 horsepower and 406 lb-ft, and gets from zero to 60 in 6.2 seconds.

The top-of-the-line GL550 features a more potent version of the same engine, with output bumped to 429 horsepower and torque to 516 lb-ft. The 0-60 run can be made in 5.5 seconds.

The redesigned GL is about an inch longer than its predecessor, with an overall length of 201.6 inches and a half-inch wider at 84.3 inches, allowing for more shoulder, elbow and headroom in all three rows of seats.

Mercedes has added an option called “power easy-entry” for easier access to the second row of seats.

Mercedes builds the GL in Vance, Ala.

Sources: Mercedes-Benz, media reports