Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV Launched In India; 5 Things You Should Know

It’s the first major overhaul that the G-Class has received in its 39-year-long career

Mercedes-Benz has launched the second generation G-Class SUV in India in the G 63 AMG iteration at Rs 2.19 crore (ex-showroom India). The luxury carmaker had previously also had the G-Class in India, but in the G 63 AMG avatar only, which was priced at Rs 2.18 crores (ex-showroom India). Here are a few interesting things that you should know about this expensive Mercedes-Benz SUV which feels at home on most terrains.

1. A bit of history: Mercedes-Benz says that the G-Class is its longest serving passenger vehicle model series. It was first launched in 1979. The letter ‘G’ in all M-B SUVs is derived from the G-Class; M-B considers it the forefather of its entire SUV lineup. It’s also sometimes referred to as the G-Wagen, short for Geländewagen, which means ‘an off-road vehicle’ in German language.

Original Mercedes-Benz G-Class	Previous Mercedes-Benz G-Class

2. Thought process behind the G-Class: The G-Class is meant to be taken off road but at the same time, it offers features that you’d expect from a luxury car. When M-B conceptualised the G-Class for the first time, it wanted it to be a vehicle with ‘superior off-road capability’ and yet be a ‘full-featured and safe vehicle suitable for recreational purposes’. It has always been underpinned by a ladder-frame chassis and has had AWD (all-wheel drive) and 100 per cent differential locks from the beginning. Besides being a capable off-roader, the G-Class is a tarmac scorcher too. In its latest avatar, the AMG-honed G-Class (G 63 AMG) powered by the 4.0-litre, 577PS engine boasts a 0-100kmph time of 4.5 seconds, same as the existing model. While that may not be supercar territory, it’s still at par with some other Mercedes-A

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3. Almost 40 years & only second generation?

Yes, Mercedes-Benz officially calls the latest G-Class to be a new generation. While it still retains its original shape, it has received major changes to its chassis, which is now more rigid than before, and suspension setup. That said, the G-Class did receive some revisions in the past as well to its engines, interiors, features and even underpinning.

4. New generation introduction: The latest G-Class was officially revealed in January 2018. The new model is 53 mm longer, 121 mm wider and has a ground clearance of 241mm, which is 6mm more than before.

5. Other significant improvements: Mercedes-Benz has introduced a new drive mode known as “G mode” in the G-Class SUV. G mode enhances G-Class off-road ability and switches on when low range option is selected. Apart from an increase in ground clearance, the G-Class fording depth is up by 100mm (at 700mm), approach angle and break-over angle is up by 1 degree and tilt angle is up by 7 degrees.

The luxury carmaker is also offering its 9-speed 9G-Tronic transmission with the G-Class now. For the first time, the G-Class has received a rack-and-pinion steering instead of the recirculating ball-type unit. That has allowed Mercedes-Benz to offer Parking Assist in the SUV. As far as the cabin is concerned, the G-Class now offers 150mm more legroom in the rear and 38mm more legroom at the front.

Despite all the changes, Mercedes-Benz has retained some signature elements on the G-Class. It continues to get a boxy exterior design with uniquely placed and styled turn indicators at the front and an exposed spare wheel on the tailgate. On the inside, while the infotainment system and the instrument cluster have been updated, a passenger-side grab handle on the dashboard still exists. Check out some more images of the G-Class here before we sign off.

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