This luxury SUV nameplate debuted for the 1998 model year, launching as a groundbreaking entry in the premium midsize SUV segment and beginning production in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It was the brand’s first modern, car-based SUV and quickly became an important volume model in North America, with early export sales expanding into Europe soon after launch. The original generation established the formula: a tall, road-biased utility vehicle with upmarket trim, available all-wheel drive, and a strong emphasis on safety and everyday comfort rather than pure off-road ruggedness.
A second generation arrived for 2006, bringing a larger, more refined body and a more contemporary luxury-SUV character. A third generation followed for 2012, further sharpening the model’s road manners, efficiency, and technology while preserving its role as the brand’s midsize SUV. In 2015, the nameplate was retired as part of a broader SUV naming shift; the successor adopted the GLE designation and continued the same lineage. Over its run, the nameplate is widely regarded as the vehicle that helped establish the modern premium SUV category for the brand and played a major role in building its U.S. SUV production base.