WAGON WHEELS

I WAS thinking of putting this picture of the latest Mercedes G-Class, commonly known as the Wagon, alongside a shot of an original 1979 model.

But then I realised it’s still exactly the same so there’s no point. Mind you, it may look the same but Merc have made a lot of changes.

Gone is the 571hp, 5.5-litre, V8 AMG version to be replaced by a 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 with 422hp and 610Nm (464lb) of torque. That should give it similar performance figures of 130mph and 0-62mph in 5.4s along with fuel consumption improved from 20-26mpg.

Trouble is Merc haven’t yet decided to bring it to the UK so buyers here will have to settle for a 3.0-litre V6 diesel turbo to lug its preposterous 2,500kg and near 16ft length around. Mind you, it still hits 119mph and 0-62mph in 8.9s but it loses some of the G-Class’s attraction.

That, of course, is its rugged looks. Merc have played around with its driving features and improved its off-road ability but the chances of seeing one actually off road are close to zero.

That’s because of its phenomenal price, which sees 10-year-old cars fetching £45,000 and 20-year old AMG versions still worth £20,000.

The new diesel will cost close to £95,000. And you’ll find stacks of them clogging up the lanes in Surrey, Cheshire

and Chelsea.