Mercedes-Benz Starts Production of Iconic 2018 G-Class, Promises The best Off-Roader

In an announcement, Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the production of its iconic and much-awaited 2018 G-Class has gone on floor at Magna Steyr in Austria. Also popularly known as the G-Wagen, the German Automaker has refrained from bringing the exterior under the knife but underneath it's a whole new story in sharp contrast to the 1979 model. Reportedly, the new G-Class will borrow only three parts from its predecessor. However, it is the rugged appeal of the G-Class that the automaker would be betting on to continue the growing sales. 2017 proved to be the breakthrough year for the G Class recording its best sales figures for a given year. Mercedes-Benz sold 22,000 units of G-Class during this period.

On the design front, the new tries to retain its cult status with its tall-boxy design coupled with a spare wheel on the back and front indicators placed on top of wheel arches. The tough original off-roader carries a contemporary cabin. An interesting history lesson though is that the King of Iran in 1970’s (at the time a significant Mercedes shareholder) suggested the design patterns for the first G-class whose primary objective will be to serve as a military vehicle. A real evolutionary process for an off-roader.

G-class will dawn the roads in G500 and G63 forms. Under the hood, the G550 inherits the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 motor from the outgoing G-Class. The engine can churn out 421bhp and 610 Nm of torque mated to an all-new nine-speed automatic transmission with a special focus on low-speed responsiveness and throttle adjustability. The AMG G63’s 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8, on the other hand, claims 585bhp and 850 Nm of torque.

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During the launch event, Mercedes-Benz's boss Dieter Zetsche had said,”Every G-class has to conquer the Sch ckl”. For the uninitiated, Sch ckl is a 1445m high mountain in Austria and this is exactly where Merc claims to have tested the G-class. With this, we think there is nothing more to say except that the new G-Class is now also 170 kg lighter.