The first variant of the W163 M-Class to be introduced was the ML320. Debuting for the 1998 model year, the ML320 was powered by Mercedes' M112.942 engine, which was a 3.2L V6 with an output of 218hp and 229 lb ft of torque. Power from this engine was sent to all four wheels via a 5 speed automatic transmission. A total of 282,614 examples of the ML320 were built before production ended in 2002, and the variant was replaced by the W163 Mercedes-Benz ML350.