Gelaendewagen no more??
According to Autoweek the next generation Mercedes G-Class loses Brinks truck look.
This is what they published:
Back when the first Gelaendewagen rolled off an Austrian assembly line in 1979, the spartan military-styled sport/ute wasn’t intended for the kind of country-club duty of today’s air-conditioned, airbag-equipped, power-everything model. But even in the luxuriously appointed guise that Mercedes has sold in the States since late 2001, the boxy G-Class has remained far more utilitarian than virtually any competitor, except maybe the original Hummer H1 and the do-anything Unimog.
In 2006 DaimlerChrysler’s biggest, baddest bank vault of an SUV gets replaced by the vehicle in these spy shots (which are mildly computer-enhanced to remove minor disguise). The new G is a relatively svelte (at least by G-Class standards) seven-seater based on a stretched version of the same platform found under the new R- and M-Class models coming from Mercedes’ Alabama assembly plant. With the introduction of the new G, production in Austria will end.
To avoid disappointing fans of the sturdy 4x4, Mercedes promises the underlying M-Class four-wheel-drive system is up to G-Class-level off-road challenges. But the company also aims to meet the needs of its well-heeled buyers with a special top-of-the-line package featuring maximum comfort and all the latest electronic equipment.
Worldwide engine offerings will include three new V8s, a 325-hp 4.6-liter and a 410-hp 5.5-liter, with a 6.3-liter V8 AMG version rumored to boast 465 hp. The G will also get two diesels, a 231-hp V6 and a 300-hp V8, but U.S. sales of those engines is uncertain.
Look for the G-Class to make its world debut at next January’s Detroit auto show.
According to Autoweek the next generation Mercedes G-Class loses Brinks truck look.
This is what they published:
Back when the first Gelaendewagen rolled off an Austrian assembly line in 1979, the spartan military-styled sport/ute wasn’t intended for the kind of country-club duty of today’s air-conditioned, airbag-equipped, power-everything model. But even in the luxuriously appointed guise that Mercedes has sold in the States since late 2001, the boxy G-Class has remained far more utilitarian than virtually any competitor, except maybe the original Hummer H1 and the do-anything Unimog.
In 2006 DaimlerChrysler’s biggest, baddest bank vault of an SUV gets replaced by the vehicle in these spy shots (which are mildly computer-enhanced to remove minor disguise). The new G is a relatively svelte (at least by G-Class standards) seven-seater based on a stretched version of the same platform found under the new R- and M-Class models coming from Mercedes’ Alabama assembly plant. With the introduction of the new G, production in Austria will end.
To avoid disappointing fans of the sturdy 4x4, Mercedes promises the underlying M-Class four-wheel-drive system is up to G-Class-level off-road challenges. But the company also aims to meet the needs of its well-heeled buyers with a special top-of-the-line package featuring maximum comfort and all the latest electronic equipment.
Worldwide engine offerings will include three new V8s, a 325-hp 4.6-liter and a 410-hp 5.5-liter, with a 6.3-liter V8 AMG version rumored to boast 465 hp. The G will also get two diesels, a 231-hp V6 and a 300-hp V8, but U.S. sales of those engines is uncertain.
Look for the G-Class to make its world debut at next January’s Detroit auto show.
