You know it from rap videos and reality TV, but the six-figure Mercedes G-Wagen was actually one of the last truly off-road-oriented SUVs. This new version might look the same, but it's been thoroughly redesigned to replace that dirt capability with street refinement. And that鈥檚 going to make it much, much better for most of its buyers.
Originally launched in 1979, the Gelandewagen was intended to rival the Land Rover Defender as a utilitarian off-road vehicle. It could navigate a highway, but it was loud, slow, and cramped and handled in a way that most people would consider dangerous. Like the Defender, archaic production methods made it expensive. Also like the Defender, its boxy shape and honest nature suddenly became en vogue in the late 1990s. People who didn鈥檛 go off-road started buying them.
This is what the old G-Wagen was designed to do鈥攁nd did extremely well. It just couldn鈥檛 do anything else.
The G-Wagen鈥檚 sudden popularity surprised Mercedes, as the vehicle was objectively awful at anything other than rock crawling. But the company nevertheless responded to the business opportunity and started fitting its enclosed tractor with more luxurious interior finishes and outlandishly powerful motors. For anyone who knew trucks, this was hilarious. Huge wheels, thin tires, low-slung exhausts, and fragile engines just didn鈥檛 pair well with solid axles, body-on-frame construction, and long-travel suspension. That combination destroyed all road-friendliness while guaranteeing that you鈥檇 break something the instant the expensive rims met a rock.
I always got the impression that Mercedes knew this but resolved to cash in on the few suckers willing to drop $100,000 or more on one. But also the impression that they never realized the vehicle would stay fashionable鈥攖he G-Wagen聽never benefited from any real development or modernization.聽Two decades later, G-Wagens still crowd Sunset Boulevard, and Mercedes has finally decided that if rich folks are going to buy these things, it may as well give them a decent vehicle.
Enter the 2019 Mercedes G-Class. It may look nearly identical to your grandpa鈥檚 Gelandewagen, but it鈥檚 actually a completely redesigned vehicle.
It still has the truck-like body-on-frame construction, but now both body and frame are made from lighter materials, making the machine 375 pounds lighter. You鈥檒l note in photos that the bumpers and wheel arches are integrated into the body. That improves looks but hampers repairability and will make it difficult for off-roaders to fit aftermarket parts like protection or winches.
The biggest change is that the solid front axle has been replaced with independent front suspension. While the rear axle is still there, it鈥檚 now fitted with four trailing arms per side, plus a Panhard rod. These changes will improve on-road ride quality and handling but come at the expense of the extreme axle articulation needed off-road.
To address the ridiculously cramped interior of the old model, the new G-Class has also gotten larger. Exterior dimensions grow聽2.1 inches longer and 4.8 inches wider, with similar increases inside. I haven鈥檛 driven it yet, but I鈥檓 hopeful聽that you'll now also be able to see out of the thing.聽
To retain the image that the聽G-Class might be capable of venturing off a paved surface it聽has four-wheel drive, complete with a center differential lock, as well as locking differentials on both front and rear axles, and low-range gearing. To make simple off-road driving easier for novices, the G-Class comes with electronic driver aids that alter damping, throttle response, shift point, and traction control settings.
So, outright off-road capability has been reduced, but in return, drivers will get a truck that鈥檚 refined and safe on-road and easier to use on less-challenging off-road terrain. That鈥檚 a better mix of abilities for most buyers, who will finally be getting a six-figure truck that鈥檚 good where they need it most. Reality show celebrities and their imitators should be pleased.