Stuttgart’s latest big-daddy SUV raises the game for the iconic G-Wagen
If you know the Mercedes G-Class as the Geländewagen or G-Wagen you may also know that it has served for longer in uninterrupted production than any other Mercedes passenger car. In 1979 Mercedes and part-owned subsidiary Steyr Daimler-Puch launched the original version, which was available with a choice of wheelbases and bodystyles, and with as much as 154bhp to call its own. Since then it has graduated to a higher and more prized status as a luxury lifestyle accessory. As such, it has spawned a super high-end performance variant called the Mercedes-AMG G63 and a zero local-emissions EV, called the Mercedes G580 with EQ technology.This latest model brings with it a few changes. The entry-level car continues to use a 3.0-litre straight-six diesel, although it is now mated to a 48V mild hybrid integrated starter generator (ISG). It gets more power, which is why it has been rebadged from G400d to G450d.And the UK now gets the G500, another 3.0-litre straight six, but this one is petrol.Its breadth of range makes it quite hard to pigeonhole. The Range Rover and Bentley Bentayga are in the same ballpark in terms of money. Yet, its off-roading ability also means it goes toe-to-toe with the Land Rover Defender and even the much cheaper Jeep Wrangler.
