G63 FLEXES ITS MIGHTY MUSCLES
Mercedes SUV still goes where others don’t
Gunther Holtorf spent 26 years travelling through 215 countries, across some 898,000 kilometres, in the same G- Wagen, which he affectionately named Otto.
His incredible story is as remarkable as the baby- blue Mercedes- Benz 300 GD that carried him along on his epic, decades- long venture between 1989 and 2014.
Holtorf, of course, took photos of the places he went, but instead of positioning himself or his wife, Christine, in the shots, he placed Otto in front of most of them, illustrating how much he loved his little G- Wagen. That the truck was able to complete the lifelong journey on the same chassis and diesel engine says more about its enduring capabilities than anything else. Otto will soon take its place at the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart.
Indeed, having changed little in the past 36 years, the Mercedes G- Class is a little like a tractor. The steering is crazy wild, the snout is short, narrow and easy to see over, and the dash is shallow, with the front glass quite close. There’s enough torque to pull down a barn, and the machines seem to last forever.
When someone gets stuck up to their axles, it’s often a G- Wagen that will pull them out. Comparing a Gelande wagen ( crosscountry vehicle) to a tractor isn’t being facetious; tractors go where regular trucks can’t. They give us sway over the unpredictability of Earth. They give us control.
The G- Wagen, in many respects, does the same.
The longest- running production vehicle in Daimler’s history ( other than the Unimog), the G- Class is, shockingly, receiving changes for 2016. A new front bumper, wider fender flares and a new instrument cluster are the most notable developments.
That is, of course, if you overlook the fact Canada will soon be getting the Jolly Green Giant — the Mercedes- AMG G65 with 6.0- litre V12 producing 621 horsepower and 738 pound- feet of torque. That’s enough power to nudge a John Deere combine out of the field.
This engine — the same as the one that powers the SL65 AMG and Pagani Huayra — will stand beside two other G- Class models, the G550 and the Mercedes-AMG G63. The 550 gets a new, 4.0- L twin- turbo V- 8 with 416 h. p. and 443 lb- ft of torque, plus new 19- inch wheels and auto start/ stop. The G63 also gets more power, up to 563 h. p. with 560 lb- ft of torque — astonishing numbers for a body- on- frame vehicle.
Indeed, during our drive on winding roads through forests and fields near Wiesbaden, Germany, the G63 thundered as loudly as an approaching storm, reaching 100 km/ h in 5.4 seconds. The bark of the side exhaust sounded as good as the spooling of the twin turbos. The G63 cost $ 153,000 last year and is expected to be close to that this year; the G65 will be much more.
Mercedes said 70 per cent of G- Class sales are AMG versions. It isn’t hard to see why. Few vehicles are as powerful, comfortable and capable as the G, which first went into production in 1979.
The recirculating ball steering, similar to that used on indestructible Toyota Land Cruisers, is still in place and does require some getting used to. Response is slow and travel is long, so the driver needs to pay attention; despite its power, this is nothing like a sports car. But after a while, the steering becomes less of an issue, the pleasure of tremendous feedback outweighing the lack of immediacy. More troubling was a seat that wouldn’t go back far enough, making for a brake pedal that felt too high. The lush leather seats, however, are extremely comfortable and adjustable in about two dozen ways.
The chassis, despite a rigid axle in the front and rear, belies the off- road bones of the G- Class. The full- time 4WD G550 receives an optional damping adjustment, with comfort and sport modes, but the G63 I flung about the countryside remained remarkably free of lean and devoid of dive. It easily cushioned the cracked and bumpy roads. On the highway, it felt as stout and stable as a Toyota 4Runner Limited, imparting that welcome truck feel but never acting like a spoiled child.
Not surprisingly — because the G’s proportions are a lot like a shed- sized Rubik’s Cube — wind noise is noticeable. It is not overly annoying, though.
Off road, the G550 proved how effectively it can conquer just about any terrain. With a centre-locking differential, as well as a rear — and front — locker, slippery mud and deep water seemed more of a nuisance than an obstacle. And the gearing is such that, in manual mode, hills with a 40- degree decline could be descended safely without aids such as hill- descent control, the seven- speed automatic handling duties in the backwoods as well as it handled the changing nature of the freeway.
Inside, the dated 1980s look has been replaced by a modern interior befitting something wearing a Mercedes badge. Cargo space is enormous — up to 2,250 litres — but back- seat legroom is precious. Up front, the navigation system is excellent, and an array of knobs and buttons make other operations simple. Thankfully, the instrument cluster still uses gauges that aren’t digital. A 4.5- inch screen between the two large dials displays driving and analytics in a clear, sharp graphic format. It’s all very pleasing.
There are several trim choices, from anthracite wood to carbon fibre, the latter being standard on the G65. Colour choices range from Alien Green to Solar Beam. Perhaps now is the time to introduce “Otto Blue,” in honour of the G that conquered the world.