G-Class won’t stray far from iconic look
FIRST LOOK Nonetheless, radical change awaits G-Wagen
METZINGEN, GER MAN Y • Inside a totally dark room in a prewar German industrial building, itself blackened by some long- ago fire, sits the future of an icon.
The Mercedes- Benz GClass, the hand-built “G-Wagen” that requires 150 hours per unit to assemble, has strayed little from the body it was born with in 1979. Yet it is about to undergo one of its more radical changes and still, after nearly 40 years of existence, it will look largely the same.
The boxy shape i s unchanged. Legendary off-road capability at the push of a button? Of course. Round headlamps? Check. The covered spare on the back barn door? Check. Even the ageold door handles — and the famous “clack” sound they make when closing the door — carry over.
So dark is the room in which the 2019 model is parked, however, we can hardly see any exterior changes. Of course, verboten is anything that could reveal what t he new G- Wagen looks like ahead of its live reveal at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Cameras are taken away. Please don’t touch the merchandise, we are reminded when caught trying to feel the front headlamps. All will be revealed in January, we are assured, including powertrain details.
For now, however, there’s a whole new world inside and Mercedes couldn’t be more excited to show it off. Gone is the awkward seating position, as well as the awkward difference in pedal height that made driving a G feel weird and cramped. It’s been replaced by a comfortable, perfectly adjustable perch, as well as numerous new finishings and details that truly elevate the G- Class cabin into the first- class realm, taking plenty of the chore out of driving one.
And yet s ome t hings never change, thankfully. The front passenger grab handle remains anchored to the dash, although it, too, is now more elegant, marrying up with the many interior trim options that range from carbon fibre to openpore flamed black ash wood. The G’s classic three- button controls for the four-by-four mechanicals, one each for locking either the front, rear or centre differential, also stay put.
While the front glass is still abruptly upright and the dash still delightfully short, there’s a unique blending of interior and exterior design. For example, new tweeters from an optional 16-speaker, 590- watt Burmester sound system press up from the dash in a way that mimics the look of the front indicator lights on the fenders; the standard audio system f eatures seven speakers. Two outer dash vents linked by a long piece of brushed aluminum also steal the look from the SUV’s front end. It’s new and yet timeless and it’s totally gorgeous.
It’s roomier, too. Rear egress is easier and rear-seat room is increased by 150 millimetres. The 60/40-split rear seat i s now heated. Front shoulder and elbow room edge up 38 and 68 mm, respectively. A bigger glove box, two large cupholders where the gearshift used to be and expanded door pockets create much- needed stowage. The gearshift moves up to a simple stalk on the steering column. And for the first time, tone- ontone colours are available for the dash and leather interior with up to seven leather colours for the seats that now come in two designs: basic Lugano with loops or Nappa with diamond stitching. A massage feature is optional.
Technology takes a leap forward. Instrumentation can be displayed via two 12.3- i nch digital screens like in the E- Class, although purists will probably opt for the new analog dial gauges flanked by one 12.3- inch digital display to the side for navigation and other duties. Touch- sensitive controls on the steering wheel respond in the same way as a smartphone and a main controller with a rotary dial, just ahead of the split armrest, commands many functions. Standard illuminated door sills, sunroof, three-zone climate control and three USB ports also bring the classic G-Wagen into the modern age.
Built mostly in Graz, Austria, the SUV grows ever more popular year over year despite its $ 130,000 starting price and about 70 per cent of G- Class models are the more expensive AMG versions. About 20,000 were sold worldwide last year — mostly in the U. S., Germany and Japan — pushing total all- time sales to just past 300,000 units, about 80 per cent of which are still on the road today. Canadian sales have been growing in step from just over 100 in 2012 to about 600 so far this year.
With its all- new interior, the new Mercedes- Benz GClass will continue to be an icon, only now it will be a much more comfortable and luxurious one.