2012 Mercedes CGL 45 Royal Last Edition by Carlsson

When Chinese car dealer Zhongsheng Group Holdings Ltd bought a 70% stake in Carlsson, we figured that it would only be a matter of time before we saw China-exclusive programs coming out of the German tuning firm. After all, part of the reason why Zhongsheng bought Carlsson was to give German automakers a little more flair in the Chinese market, which has been inundated with these models to the point that they’ve become a little too mainstream. Now, we have the very first program to be born out of that promise: the Mercedes CGL45 Royal Last Edition.

Based on Carlsson’s CGL45 program for the GL-Class, the 45 Royal Last Edition is an exclusive tuning program reserved only for the Chinese market. The CGL45 kit, which was already detailed in these pages, contains a bevy of components made out of high-quality PUR-Rim plastic. These components include wider wheel arches and a new chrome radiator grille with mesh inserts. There’s also an impressive lighting set-up that features a couple of double light units and LED daytime running lights on the front spoiler.

Under the hood of the German SUV, Carlsson gave the CGL45 Royal Last Edition’s 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine a comprehensive engine tuning, increasing the SUV’s output from the standard 265 horsepower and 457 lb/ft of torque figures all the way up to 310 horsepower and 516 lb/ft of torque. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line 5.5-liter V8 model gets a new output of 435 horsepower and 442 lb/ft of torque.