Mercedes-Benz G-Class Information

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, sometimes called G-Wagen (short for Geländewagen, "cross country vehicle"), is a mid-size four-wheel drive luxury SUV manufactured by Magna Steyr (formerly Steyr-Daimler-Puch) in Austria and sold by Mercedes-Benz. In certain markets, it has been sold under the Puch name as Puch G.

The G-Wagen is characterised by its boxy styling and body-on-frame construction. It uses three fully locking differentials, one of the few vehicles to have such a feature.

Despite the introduction of an intended replacement, the unibody SUV Mercedes-Benz GL-Class in 2006, the G-Class is still in production and is one of the longest produced vehicles in Daimlers history, with a span of 40 years. Only the Unimog surpasses it.

The G-class was developed as a military vehicle from a suggestion by the King of Iran (at the time a significant Mercedes shareholder) to Mercedes and offered as a civilian version in 1979. In this role it is sometimes referred to as the "Wolf". The Peugeot P4 was a variant made under licence in France with a Peugeot engine. The first military in the world to use it was the Argentine Army (Ejército Argentino) beginning in 1981 with the military model 461.

The development of the G-Class started in 1972 with a cooperative agreement between Daimler-Benz and Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Graz, Austria. Mercedes-Benz engineers in Stuttgart were in charge of design and testing, while the team in Graz developed the production plans. The first wooden model was presented to Daimler-Benz management in 1973, with the first drivable prototype beginning various testing including German coalfields, the Sahara Desert, and the Arctic Circle in 1974. Construction commenced on a new production facility in Graz, where the new cross-country vehicle would be assembled nearly entirely by hand in 1975, with production of the "G Model" beginning in Graz in 1979. In 1980, the Vatican took delivery of a specially made G-Wagen outfitted with a clear thermoplastic top which served as the Popemobile. The “Papa G” later took up permanent residence at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

The first major refinements were introduced in 1981, including an automatic transmission, air conditioning, an auxiliary fuel tank, protective headlamp grilles and a cable winch. Fuel injection became available in 1982, when the 230 GE was introduced in Turin, along with more comfortable and supportive front seats, auxiliary heating, wider tires and fender flares. For 1985, differential locks, central door locking and a tachometer became standard and by 1986 over 50,000 G Models had been produced.

The G-Wagen was facelifted in 1990. In 1989, for the 10th anniversary of the G Model, a new model variant with permanent 4-wheel drive, a wood-trimmed interior and optional Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) debuted at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. Production began the following April. For 1992, a new sub-series for professional users began production. The civilian model began to offer cruise control, a stainless-steel spare-tire cover, running boards and Burl Walnut wood interior trim. The same year, the 100,000th G Model was built in Graz. In 1994, the model line was officially renamed the G-Class. Ventilated front disc brakes and a driver’s air bag became standard. In 1996 the automatic transmission became an electronically controlled 5-speed unit. Headlamp washers, cruise control and a front passenger’s air bag were added. In 1998, the range-topping G 500 with a 296 hp V 8 was introduced for series production.

For 1999 a limited run of V 8 powered "G 500 Classic" special editions marked the models 20th anniversary. A multifunction steering wheel was added to all models. Later in the year, the new G 55 AMG debuts as the most powerful G-Class yet, with 354 hp. The U.S. market launch of the G-Class took place in 2001. New alloy wheels, a chrome grille and body-color bumpers plus a more luxurious cabin were introduced. New dynamic control systems included the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Brake Assist and the 4 wheel Electronic Traction System (4 ETS). The G 55 AMG was upgraded in 2004 with a supercharged V 8 engine developing 476 hp. In Siberia in 2006, a documentary filmmaker was the first foreigner to reach the world’s coldest region with a passenger vehicle in winter, driving a stock G 500 nearly 19,000 km without a single breakdown, in temperatures as frigid as −63˚F/-53 °C.

A new version was expected for 2007, but the new GL-Class did not replace the G-Wagen, and it will continue to be hand-built in Graz, Austria at an annual production of 4,000 to 6,000 units. In February 2009, Magna Steyr, an operating unit of Magna International, announced that it signed an agreement with Daimler AG to extend the production of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class at Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria until 2015. Besides the production, the further development of the G-Class by Daimlers subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Consult Graz since 1992.

For 2007 the output of the G 55 AMG was raised to an even 500 hp. Bi Xenon headlamps, corner-illuminating front foglamps and new scratch-resistant nano-particle paint finishes were offered for the first time. In 2008 more-refined instrumentation and controls were included in the G-Class cabin, along with the COMAND system with hard-drive-based navigation, a rear view camera, voice control, Bluetooth and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Vatican received a new white “Popemobile,” based on a G 500. 2009 marked the 30th anniversary of the vehicle, with over 200,000 units having been manufactured in Graz since 1979.

The original 460-series Geländewagen went on sale in 1979, after having debuted in February of that year. It was offered with two wheelbases, a short wheelbase (SWB) of 2,400 mm and a long one (LWB) of 2,850 mm. One could choose between three body styles: A two-door short wheelbase convertible, a two-door SWB wagon and a long wheelbase four-door wagon. The two wagon versions were also available as windowless two-door Vans (or Kastenwagen in German). While always assembled in Graz, the car was sold as the Puch G only in the Austrian, Swiss, and Eastern European markets.

During the G-Wagens life span many a different body style was made for army and public-service clients, like the Popemobile, the pickup or the chassis/cab with a wheelbase of 2,850, 3,120 or 3,400 mm, the chassis/cab being the base vehicle for army-ambulances or communication vehicles. Because of the sheer variety of military versions, this article focuses on the more standardized civilian G-Wagen.

The 460 was popular with military and off-road enthusiasts, with more than 50,000 built in the first decade. Mercedes-Benz initially did not sell the model in the United States, but by means of "casual importation" grey-market in the mid-1980s, importers sold a number of G-Wagens which had been modified to meet the specifications by the US DOT, at about $135,000.

The 461 is the dedicated military and parapublic service model, produced since 1990. The 462 designation was used on ELBO-made Greek army vehicles. The Peugeot P4 had its own designations.

The chassis was significantly revised for 1990, and resulted in the new 463 G-Class. Equipped with anti-lock brakes, full-time 4WD and a trio of electric locking differentials. The interior was totally upgraded, finished with wooden accents and optional leather upholstery. The 463 features a larger choice of engines, with the first V8-powered model, the luxury 500 GE, appearing for a limited two-year production run in 1993. The 500 GE used the M117 engine, a four-speed automatic transmission, and, notably for a G-Wagen, only came with two locking differentials. The steering wheel was revised for the 1993 model year. All 463 G-Wagens began using Mercedes-Benzs new letter-first naming scheme in 1994, as well as another major steering wheel revision which included driver airbags.

The range was refreshed again in 1997, including the introduction of a power-topped convertible and two new engines, the 2.9 L Turbo Diesel and the V6-powered (M112 motor) G 320 — previous years G 320s were outfitted with the M104 I6. The V8 G-wagen returned with a new engine in 1998 as the G 500, with official sales beginning in the United States in 2002 at $75,000. The 354 hp (260 kW) G 55 AMG cemented the vehicle in the American market, becoming a vehicle of choice for many celebrities. Since 2000 model year, steering wheel has been revised with control buttons.

Since the classic W461 ended production in 2001, military, parapublic service and utility versions are also based on the W463 driveline. Sometimes, the W461 designation is still used for these

Mercedes-Benz considered that 2005 would be the last year they would export the Geländewagen to the United States market; however, with an order placed by the U.S. Marine Corps for 157 Mercedes-Benz units to replace their aging and limited use Desert Patrol Vehicle with a more modern and militarized Interim Fast Attack Vehicle, the manufacturer continued to offer the vehicle in the US market. To celebrate the supposed end of US market Geländewagens, 500 examples of the "Grand Edition" model were made available. All "Grand Edition" are marked with external Grand Edition badging on the front fenders as well as silver plaque with specific series number "xxx of 500" on the interior of the vehicle. Also new for the 2005 model year was the first supercharged G 55 AMG model, boasting a 469 hp (350 kW) V8 engine. So equipped, a G 55 AMG was able to achieve 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.2 seconds. The G 550 went from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, while it took the G 55 AMG 5.2 seconds.

Various automobile tuners such as AMG, Brabus, Lorinser, Carlsson, A.R.T., and RENNtech have all modified the engine, interior, and exterior.

It was rumored that, with military contracts for the G-Class completed, production of the old G-Wagen in Graz, Austria would cease in 2006. However, reports state that production of the current G-Wagen will continue for the foreseeable future, alongside its once-intended replacement, the GL-Class (X164). An outcry among enthusiasts who admired the G-Class for its tremendous off-road potential, along with its reputation and cachet, showed that a market still existed for such a vehicle.

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