Proper, true-blue off-roaders are not meant to speed along highways at breakneck speeds, but are built with the sole purpose of traversing any terrain imaginable. One of the most iconic motoring landmarks to represent this mission statement is none other than the Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagon. The G-Wagon was built with just one mission in mind – to serve the armed forced of nations all over the globe. When it was introduced back in 1979, the Gelandewagen was to be nothing more than a European revisit of the landmark American Willys Jeep. However, as time went by, Mercedes-Benz realized the huge potential of the rugged and adaptable G-Wagon in the world’s SUV market.
So, without further ado, the German carmaker quickly launched a slightly civilized version of the Gelandewagen for normal people to buy. After which, it wasn’t long before this boxy 4X4 went from being a no-nonsense military vehicle to a full-fledged, boxy but luxurious passenger SUV. Today, the second-generation Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the most premier SUVs of the world, and the three-pointed star’s ultimate showcase of its off-road might and status symbol, all rolled into one vehicle. In the United Arab Emirates, the least expensive variant of the new 2019 G-Class that you can procure will set you back by a good 600,000 dirhams, at least, and that is even before you start piling on the options. Of course, the latest G builds on the reputation set by its forerunners, and is easily one of the most capable and quite literally unchallenged of all off-roaders currently on the market. To keep it looking like a ‘modern’ piece of automotive effort, Mercedes-Benz has tried to smoothen off some of the rough edges. But its boxy silhouette, old-school grab-like door handles, the almost flat windscreen and windows, rear door-mounted spare wheel, and the characteristic circular headlamps all hint at the new model’s tough upbringing.
Mercedes has also gone around trying to uplift the interior of the new G-Class by adding some modern displays, a more sophisticated dashboard and center console, and a fancy steering wheel lifted straight out of the S-Class. Also improved over the old G is the new avatar’s increased cabin volume and smarter packaging, which surely helps. What’s far more noticeable is the lengths Mercedes-Benz went to try and increase the on-road performance of this old-school, non-aerodynamic, heavy, body-on-frame SUV. Over the years, they have tried doing this by dropping in massively-powerful engines and pairing those to automatic gearboxes. Obviously, this being Mercedes, the G-Wagon was equipped with extremely intrusive traction and stability control programs to stop it from careening off the road and rolling over. But, and a big but… The performance numbers of the G-Class speak for themselves.
The 2019 Mercedes G500 is the most basic G-Wagon that you can buy in the UAE, as I mentioned before. But, even this plebian of the G-Class world comes armed with a 4.0-liter, bi-turbo V8, along with side-mounted exhausts. Even in this low-output state of tune, this motor dishes out 422 hp and 610 Nm of torque. Paired to a newly-developed 9-speed automatic transmission, this 2,400-kilogram behemoth can launch itself and the often unaware occupants to 100 km/h in a mere 5.9 seconds. And despite its despicable aerodynamics and mammoth-like mass, the 2019 G500 will impart blunt-force trauma to the laws of physics as it rages on towards its 210 km/h top speed – only to be then told by a computer to try and control its fury. Remember, this is just the ‘base’ variant of the G-Class. To ensure maximum safety of the occupants, Mercedes-Benz has equipped the G with a plethora of airbags and the kind of electronic nannies that might make the S-Class blush.
