Mercedes-Benz has introduced two new V8 engines and changed more than 1,100 components as part of a facelift for the popular M-class SUV built in both Alabama and Austria. The company says it has sold more than 300,000 sales worldwide. A market share of up to 30 per cent have made its luxury SUV one of the most successful models in its market segment, according to Mercedes-Benz. Styling changes for the 2002 model include redesigned front and rear bumpers, new clear-lens headlamps with integral direction indicators, color-matched mirrors and rubbing strips on all models and restyled 17-inch light-alloy wheels as standard. Inside, the center console has been redesigned and wood trim is now standard for all models. New features include additional storage compartments between the front seats, an improved rear double cup holder, an illuminated ashtray and a 12-volt outlet. Mercedes has also expanded the now-standard automatic climate control system, adding rear passenger controls, an auxiliary fan and separate ventilation nozzles. A new gasoline ML 500 V8 version replaces the ML 430 and there is also a new four-liter V8 diesel option. Both new engines are essentially S-Class units: the V8 diesel produces 250 hp and the five-liter V8 gasoline engine boasts 292 hp. The ML400 CDI's diesel V8 has common-rail direct injection, a dual turbocharger and four-valve technology and is said to be one of the world's most powerful car diesel engines. It accelerates the M-class to 62 mph in a claimed 8.1 seconds compared with 7.7 seconds for the new five-liter gasoline V8. Externally the new V8 versions have chrome trim on the radiator grille vanes, door handles and tailgate handle. The top-line ML 55 AMG now has a silver-painted radiator grille. Fuel tank capacity for all variants has been increased to 22 gallons, enabling the new ML 400 CDI diesel V8 version to cover around 550 miles before refuelling. Updated five-cylinder diesel ML 270 CDI and V6 gasoline ML 320 versions are also available. Window airbags, which deploy an inflated "curtain" across the insides of the side windows in a lateral collision, are now standard across the M-class range. These air cushions supplement the standard side airbags in the doors. The new-look headlights have bi-xenon bulbs previously used only in the top CL-class Mercedes coupes. These headlamps generate twice the lighting power of conventional halogen headlamps and come with a sensor-activated headlamp beam control system and a high-pressure lens cleaning system. The M-Class also now has a light sensor on the windshield that automatically switches on the headlamps at night. An electronic parking aid system is newly available as an option. A new range of optional mobile and fixed-installation car telephones will enable passengers to read and compile SMS (Short Message Service) messages on the screen of the centre console-mounted optional Command operating and display system in the near future, according to Mercedes-Benz.