“If it works, don’t fix it”. A short phrase that definitely applies to the looks of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. This exclusive truck has been popular to a select class of people and its external appearance has not changed significantly since 1979. Today, the German manufacturer presents the 2019 model of the rugged yet classy truck. Without surprise, it maintained its iconic looks, but some key elements were updated in order to keep it appealing to its select class of buyers.
First off, the G-Class was put on a diet; it lost an astounding 375 pounds of weight thanks to the use of aluminum, high strength steel in key areas and an upgraded manufacturing processes at the plant. In the G 500, the power is provided by a new 4.0-litre V8 twin turbo engine that develops 422 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. The G-Class uses a new 9G‑TRONIC automatic transmission to harness and channel this power.
Versatility is key for G-Class drivers; showing off in the city while still being able to climb a mountain at any given time is a must, it seems! So the new G-Class was outfitted with a DYNAMIC SELECT feature that offers five driving modes. First, it has the four common “Comfort”, “Sport”, “Eco” and “Individual” modes. But there is a fifth mode – the “G-Mode” – that unleashes the G’s full off-road handling capabilities. This off-road mode calibrates the adjustable damping of the chassis and the steering as well as the accelerator to ensure control and performance in off-road conditions
The 300,000th G-Class rolled off the assembly line in the summer of 2017. But with a price tag starting at 107,040.50EUR (a little over 162,708$CAD), the G-Class is still not for everybody.
