Mercedes-Benz Unimog, G-Class and M-Class win awards in the “Off Road” readers’ vote:

[hannaz]

Being the founders of 4 wheel-drive system, Mercedes-Benz has always been in forefront to deliver the off-road enthusiast the ultimate robust off-roaders!

Mercedes’ unique offering in this segment the Unimog is the ultimate off-road machine money can buy! It has proven itself on various challenges & its capabilities are very well accepted by the enthusiast too, that why the Unimog is being awarded as the best off-roader and became ‘2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year’ for the sixth consecutive year

Mercedes’ other stunning off-roader G-class won two off-road awards in ‘Luxury Cross-country Vehicle’ & ‘Classics’ categories. And the softer M-class won the second place in the “Luxury SUV’ Categories.

UNIMOG

Off Road Award: Mercedes-Benz Unimog is ‘2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year’

* Readers of “Off Road” magazine have voted the Unimog the year’s best cross-country vehicle in the “Special-Purpose Vehicles” category
* Unimog takes first place with an outstanding 37.9 % of readers’ votes

For the sixth time running, readers of “Off Road” magazine have voted the Mercedes-Benz Unimog the year’s best cross-country vehicle in the “Special-Purpose Vehicles” category. The Unimog picked up the title of “2010 Cross-Country Vehicle of the Year – Special-Purpose Vehicles Category” after the December issue of the respected Munich-based all-wheel-drive magazine invited readers to vote for a selection of vehicles with off-road capability in a total of eight categories. The OFF ROAD Obelisk award was presented during a special gala evening held at Munich’s “Das Schloss” theatre tent. Over 48,000 votes were cast to select the winners among the 97 vehicles nominated by the organisers. The Unimog was the top-scoring model among the special-purpose vehicles with an outstanding 37.9 % of the readers’ votes.

The eight categories for which readers where invited to cast their votes were “Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles”, “Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)”, “Luxury SUVs”, “Classics”, “Pick-Ups”, “Special-Purpose Vehicles” and “Crossover Vehicles”. Among the special-purpose vehicles – cross-country vehicles used for transporting loads and cargo in remote areas or as a basis for special bodies used by fire-fighters, expeditions and the military – the Unimog easily led the field. Its signature product characteristics, such as its portal axles which provide outstanding off-road capability and its tremendous torsional flexibility combined with exceptional ruggedness and strength, came in for particular praise.

Produced at the Wörth plant since 2002, the high-mobility U 4000 to U 5000 Unimog range is the natural choice for difficult all-terrain operations far from roads and tracks. Its principal applications are in the domains of fire-fighting (especially in the context of forest fires), disaster relief, expedition transport as well as service and maintenance work in areas where access is difficult. As the saying goes: “Unimog vehicles get through where others cannot even get in”.

The Unimog U 4000 and U 5000 models are therefore the ideal complement to the all-terrain implement carriers which make up the U 300 to U 500 range and which are used principally by public service organisations and municipal contractors as well as in the construction and energy sectors, in intra-plant transport applications and for road/rail work. The latest addition to the Unimog family is the compact U 20, which was launched in 2008.

The legendary G-Class also emerged as a firm favourite with the readers: it was voted into first place in the “Luxury Cross-Country Vehicles” category. Another G-Class, in “Edition Pur” guise (produced in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the model series) took second place in the “Classics” category with the same ranking being attained by the M-Class in the “Luxury SUVs” category.

Off-Road magazine has been inviting its readers to vote for the cross-country vehicle of the year since 1982.

G-Class


Press Release 2:

Stuttgart/Munich – Mercedes-Benz was among the most successful
brands in the readers’ vote for the “Off-roader of the Year 2010″ held by the motoring magazine “Off Road”. Within the portfolio the legendary G-Class was even able to notch up a double success: it won first place in the “Luxury off-roader” category, while the special EDITION.PUR model, which entered production in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the G-Class, took second place in the “Classic” category. The M-Class achieved the same ranking in the “Luxury SUV” category. In the “Special-purpose vehicle” category, the multi-talented Unimog once again took its place on the winner’s rostrum.

These awards make the G-Class one of the most popular and highly acclaimed models in the world of off-road vehicles, as a look at the major awards received in recent years reveals. For the seventh time, the readers of “Off Road” have awarded the title of “Off-roader of the Year” to the G-Class, following its successes in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. In its 2007 and 2009 readers’ votes, the off-road magazine “4Wheel Fun” declared the “G” to be the “Superstar”. Following its successes in 2003 and 2007, the readers of “Motor Klassik” once again voted the Mercedes-Benz G-Class the “Classic of the Future” last year. And no less than 14 times, readers of the motoring magazine “auto motor und sport” have voted the G-Class the world’s best off-road vehicle. In the special-purpose vehicle segment – off-road vehicles used to carry loads and cargo into remote areas, or used as a basis for special-purpose bodies – the Unimog clearly leads the field, with particular praise for its outstanding off-road capabilities combined with extreme robustness.

A full range: the current G-Class

The current 463-series “G” family has three body variants. The short wheelbase Station Wagon, the long wheelbase Station Wagon or the Cabriolet can be combined either with the economical V6 CDI engine developing 165 kW (224 hp) and 540 newton metres, or a powerful 5.5-litre V8 petrol engine with 285 kW (388 hp) and 530 newton metres. The top-of-the-range G 55 AMG, which is available only as a four-door Station Wagon, is powered by a supercharged V8 engine generating 373 kW (507 hp) and an impressive maximum torque of 700 newton metres. The G-Class continues to offer an outstanding synthesis of powerful drive and dynamic handling systems. In addition to permanent all-wheel drive with an off-road reduction range and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, standard equipment includes the electronically controlled traction system 4ETS, the Electronic Stability Program ESP® and three differential locks that can be engaged at the touch of a button.

The special EDITION.PUR model, which has received an award in the “Classic” category, entered production in 2009 to mark the 30th birthday of the G-Class and is based on the G 280 CDI from the G 461 series. This long wheelbase Station Wagon is homage to the first-generation G-Model, and like its ancestor it is specially optimised for operation in the very toughest off-road conditions.

The trendsetter: Mercedes-Benz M-Class

As a trendsetter among today’s SUVs, the M-Class owes its exceptional status to its characteristically dynamic and elegant design, as well as to a combination of excellent on-road/off-road performance, the ride and operating comfort of a saloon car and a high level of perceived value. Moreover, the M-Class has safety features that are unrivalled anywhere in the SUV segment. These outstanding attributes were duly rewarded by the readers of the motoring magazine “Off Road”.

 

[ree]

The Unimog is a monster offroad - and saw a G-Class "Edition 30 Pure" at a dealer today. One great car for offroading, but hell, the price of 75.000 € for a car without climate control - I would buy a Landy Def. instead.

 

[Merc1]

I love Mercedes-Benz but they need to quit trying to convince the world that the ML is in the same off-road league/capability as the Unimog or G. The ML's axles would break off doing the things the G would do.

M

 

[Wolfgang]

I love Mercedes-Benz but they need to quit trying to convince the world that the ML is in the same off-road league/capability as the Unimog or G. The ML's axles would break off doing the things the G would do.

Good point.

The Mercedes-Benz engineer in charge of the G and ML, Dr. Gerhard Fritz, had this to say on the topic, at the time when the new plant in the US opened.




ENGINEERS LEFT CONVENTION ON THE SHELF: DESIGN USED BEST OF CARS, TRUCKS

DALE JEWETT Engineering Editor

Automotive News, October 13, 1997 - 12:01 am ET

VANCE, Ala. - Just another leather-lined truck.

When Mercedes-Benz announced in 1993 that it would build a sport-utility, many expected the company to follow conventional wisdom - start with a truck base, swathe the interior in leather and lots of amenities, and try to soften the ride as much as possible.

The German automaker certainly wouldn't have had a technical problem doing that.

With a sturdy frame, boxy styling and three locking differentials, the Gelaendewagen that Mercedes produced for military and public use in Europe already had an off-road pedigree. Although it has never been officially imported into the United States, the G-Wagen has a small but loyal following here.

But Mercedes had a philosophical problem with that approach. The vehicle being built here in central Alabama is, instead, a testament to unconventional thinking. Mercedes passed up existing hardware and technology to enter the sport-utility market with an all-new design.

Yes, the M class rides on a separate frame like most other truck-based sport-utilities. With eight inches of ground clearance, it provides that critical command-of-the-road view that many sport-utility buyers crave.

But the M class rides on a four-wheel independent suspension. That suspension is prevalent on sports cars and luxury sedans but is a first in the compact sport-utility segment. And missing from the M class' drivetrain are the common locking differential and solid axle. When the M class needs traction, its antilock brake system helps send torque to the wheel or wheels that need it most.

In short, the M class received the best of both worlds - trucklike utility, luxury-car ride.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

'The perception was that the M class would be a Range Rover or a Lexus. We wanted to combat that impression,' says Stephen Cannon, regional marketing manager for Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc. in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Cannon, whose territory includes the United States, Canada, Mexico and Japan, says Mercedes wanted to offer more than an expensive truck with luxurious appointments.

The technological mandate for Gerhard Fritz, M-class project engineering director, was to deliver the smooth ride of luxury cars along with off-road capability to claw over hills and run through streams without missing a beat.

Fritz and the M-class team delivered.

On the highway, a blindfolded passenger would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the M class and a Mercedes sedan. On an off-road course constructed behind the Alabama assembly plant, the M class navigates terrain so tight and tough that instructors will not drive a Ford Explorer or Jeep Grand Cherokee over it.

The M class' success in straddling the line between luxury car and off-road truck hinges on three elements:

1. Body on frame construction.

2. Four-wheel independent suspension.

3. Adaptation of electronic traction control to divert as much as 100 percent of torque to one wheel.

To start its work, Fritz's team set two competitive goals. For on-road ride, Mercedes' own cars were the benchmark. For off-road performance, the goal was to become the competitive benchmark for all other makers.

FRAME VS. UNIBODY

As Mercedes engineers began laying down the first lines for the M class, the debate flared over whether the vehicle should be a body-on-frame or unibody.

The 'smooth-ride' camp backed a unibody. It made sense, since all of Mercedes' cars used unibody construction. And there was precedent. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 use a unibody construction, and those sport-utilities receive high marks for on-road ride quality.

Other engineers argued that the unibody approach was not stiff enough to survive the rigors of real off-road driving.

The debate was heated, and went on for several months. But the deciding issue came down to the ML320's off-road capabilities.

'We had to deliver on the off-road credentials,' says Cannon. 'We were a luxury-car maker entering a new segment. For us to be taken seriously, we had to walk the walk.'

To meet the goal, the M class would ride on a stiff frame made up of steel, box-section side rails and three crossmembers welded together. A stiff, steel body sits on that frame, insulated by 10 rubber body mounts.

Vibrations are further filtered out by front and rear subframes that serve as mounting points for the lower arms of the suspension, as well as for the rack-and-pinion steering gear.

The front and rear of the frame are extended and closed off with bumperlike crossmembers to create 'crash boxes.' The steel squares deform in a minor accident to prevent the entire frame from being damaged. They are also easier to replace.

THE INDEPENDENT ROUTE

The heart of the M class' ride and handling is its four-wheel independent suspension - a first in the compact sport-utility category.

In front, the upper control arms attach to the frame, while the lower control arms mount to the subframe, along with the steering gear. Torsion bar springs, anchored to the center crossmember, take up less space than coil springs, allowing the ML320 to show a lower hood line.

At the rear, the upper control arm again mounts to the frame, and the lower arm to the subframe. The rear suspension uses progressive-rate coil springs, which react differently to different impacts.

'It gives you a lot of flexibility to influence the ride of the vehicle, much more than a rigid axle,' Fritz says of his suspension choice.

Fritz's decision was influenced, in part, by the fact that high-performance off-road vehicles such as the AM General Hummer and entries in the Paris-Dakar road rally use fully independent suspensions.

It was also a logical step forward in the evolution of sport-utilities, Fritz says. The first sport-utilities, such as the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler, had solid axles front and rear. Over the last few years, most sport-utilities have switched to an independent front suspension, but kept the solid axle in the rear. Four-wheel independent suspension is being used on the smaller car-based sport-utilities, such as the Honda CR-V Toyota RAV4.

An independent suspension allows each wheel to move up and down separately from the wheel directly opposite. With a solid axle, hitting a pothole with one wheel also influences the opposite wheel on the same axle.

'With a rigid axle, you use stiff springs to obtain good off-road capabilities,' Fritz says, 'but you get a poor ride on paved roads. If you make the springs soft for better on-road ride, you get a lot of self steering from road bumps, and that's unwanted.

'For us it was clear that it would take an independent axle to combine the off-road abilities and the luxury-car ride,' Fritz says. 'We've compared the M class with the G-Wagen on the off-road test track. The M class runs faster.'

OTHER SAVINGS

Fritz scoffs at the notion that an independent suspension is not tough enough to handle the rigors of serious off-road driving.

'Conventional wisdom says a rigid axle is more stable off-road, but that is not the case,' Fritz says. 'If you hit a big bump, or boulder, you can damage the axle. Once the axle is bent, it's over. With an independent suspension, you might bend a control arm but it would keep going.'

Because an independent suspension contains several bushings between its elements, engineers have more options in tuning the suspension to block out vibration.

Because the M class chose a heavier steel frame over a unibody, engineers had to find weight savings in other components. That made an independent suspension more appealing. The ML320 version weighs about one-third what a solid axle would have, thanks to extensive use of aluminum suspension components. The upper control arms of the front suspension and the upper and lower control arms of the rear suspension are made from aluminum, as are the differential covers. Reducing the amount of unsprung weight improved the M class' ride and handling.

It also helped save money, Fritz notes. The aluminum components do not have to be reworked or painted after being cast.

The independent suspension also let Mercedes lower the center of gravity about 2 inches, Fritz says, which lowered the step-in height and improved stability in turns.

Even though about 75 percent of sport-utilities are equipped with four-wheel drive, the number of owners who regularly use it and go off-road is small, says Cannon. 'Most customers don't know when to lock the differential to get the most out of their system,' he says.

Mercedes' response was to make its 4wd system as seamless to the driver as possible.

The most revolutionary part of the M class' full-time 4wd drivetrain is the adaptation of Mercedes' electronic traction control system. The system will channel up to 100 percent of the torque to a single wheel. At the same time, the new traction system trimmed hundreds of pounds from the ML320.

Fritz says it was a given that the M class would have three differentials to insure superior off-road capabilities. While many sport-utilities offer locking center and rear differentials, few offer a locking front differential - and then only at extra cost.

The plan created a new challenge for the Mercedes team. Fritz and his engineers had to ensure the vehicle's ABS would remain functional at all times. On some sport-utilities, locking the differentials for better traction disables the ABS. That can be a problem, Fritz notes, when after a vehicle goes up a snowy hill, there is no ABS to help control the descent.

At first the M-class team began testing torque-on-demand systems, which sense wheel slippage and automatically direct torque to the axle with the most traction. Mercedes has used such a system, dubbed 4Matic, on some of its cars.

IT WON'T WORK

While they were an improvement over the conventional 4wd systems, a torque-on-demand system would not achieve the team's goal, Fritz says. 'There are disadvantages to the traditional system. In a 180-degree turn, it's not always smooth because the system continually engages and disengages,' he says.

Coincidentally, as the M-class team worked in 1993, Mercedes engineers were developing an electronic traction system for passenger cars. To see if it might work for the M class, Fritz had a four-wheel version of the system mounted on a G-Wagen.

He did not expect it to work. 'We thought that the ETS would cause the brakes to heat up,' Fritz says.

But it didn't. 'We discovered that when the system works, the vehicle is typically moving slowly,' he adds. So not much heat is generated. 'During testing, we had lights rigged inside to show when the brakes applied at each wheel. It was amazing to see how short a time a brake is activated - only about three to five seconds.'

The system had to overcome another technical problem. The Mercedes 4wd relies on three independent, or 'open,' differentials.

Open differentials are simple since they lack components to coordinate their actions. Their weakness: They transfer torque to the wheel with less resistance. This was good for turning a corner, where the outside wheel turns faster than the inside. But in slippery conditions, a vehicle gets stuck when one wheel loses traction, and all torque goes to that wheel.

Limited-slip differentials, by comparison, detect a spinning wheel and transfer torque to the other wheel. A locking differential mechanically locks the two wheels on an axle together. This ensures that traction goes to both wheels.

But by being locked together, the outer wheel is unable to turn faster than the inner wheel during a turn, causing it to bind. That slows steering response and sends vibrations into the passenger compartment.

The Mercedes traction system essentially 'fools' open differentials.

When a wheel's speed sensor detects that it is spinning faster than the other wheels, the brake is applied to slow the spinning wheel to the same speed as the other wheels. Slowing the wheel channels the torque through the open differentials to the wheels with traction.

The breakthrough enabled Mercedes to use the simpler open differentials. That allowed the vehicle to save about 15.5 pounds, compared to a torque-on-demand system, Fritz says. It also was less expensive.

The only limit to the M class 4wd system is the friction of the road, Fritz says. 'Earlier this year we had 20 days of rain in Alabama,' he says, 'but the M class was doing 180-degree turns with no problems.'

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19971013/ANA/710130756#ixzz0ebZh4UXG

 

[VroomVroom]

Uni mog is most deffintly the best off-roader in the world!

Bit sceptical about the G and ML tho, no doubt the G is fantastic at off-roading but compared the Defender, it's a little weak..

The ML is a bit of a mickey mouse really, in order to actually take the ML off-road you have to buy it with the "off-road package" which basically gives with locking diff, HDC and varies other electrical aids.

A RR sport can do everything and more than a ML.

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[Merc1]

Bit sceptical about the G and ML tho, no doubt the G is fantastic at off-roading but compared the Defender, it's a little weak..

Really, due tell.

M

 

[hannaz]

Uni mog is most deffintly the best off-roader in the world!

Bit sceptical about the G and ML tho, no doubt the G is fantastic at off-roading but compared the Defender, it's a little weak..

What do you ment by a little week?

 

[Wolfgang]

hot off the wires, dealers asking for more M, E, CPOs:


Mercedes dealers want more M's, E's, CPOs

ORLANDO --Mercedes-Benz dealers urged the automaker to open the faucet a tad on vehicle inventories, especially the M-class crossover and E-class coupe, as the automaker prepares for higher volumes in 2010.

Factory officials told dealers at the make meeting that it is forecasting a sales upturn of more than 10 percent in 2010, said people who attended the meeting. That would mean an additional 20,000 to 25,000 sales across the brand.

The year will see added sales from an E-class convertible and wagon, a freshened R class and the new SLS AMG, Robert Yeatman Jr., Mercedes-Benz USA general manager for sales management and volume planning, told the meeting.

Yeatman said the company began to see increased demand for the M class in the fourth quarter and asked for more production during 2010.

Read more: Automotive News

 

[Sunny]

I hate seeing G in the city - usually G55 with some chrome dubs. It looks like a dinosaur. But it looks good in it's element here.

 

[VroomVroom]

What do you ment by a little week?

Oops sorry for reply, thread skipped my mind!

The Defender is a shire horse, the G is a Shetland Pony..

The G is perfectly capable of doign what a Defender can do, owners just prefer to keep them clean and groomed.

 

[VroomVroom]

I hate seeing G in the city - usually G55 with some chrome dubs. It looks like a dinosaur. But it looks good in it's element here.

Sadly most G owners will never show their G to a green lane.

 

[MBFanToDeath]

Unimog is beast for offroad

btw this is crazy

or you can buy this and drive your girlfriend in it

 

[Wolfgang]

The 650th Unimog U 5000 delivered to the German armed forces

The armed forces vehicle fleet service (BwFPS) took delivery of its 650th Unimog U 5000 right on time as the year comes to a close.

Mercedes-Benz Passion eBlog

http://theworldofmbamg.wordpress.co...livered-to-the-german-armed-forces/#more-6841

 

[LaArtist]

^is that the real key?

haha

It could pass as the real key..look at the size of the truck