The iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class off-road truck is back. A prototype for the reported 2018 model has been spotted making the rounds on German roads this past couple of days. The new truck looked as good as ever and was caught on video by different sources last week.
Besides being a great sighting in itself to see a near 40-year-old vehicle lineup still going strong, the automaker’s latest luxury cars are living proof that Mercedes-Benz honors its 90 years of history with a commitment to its brand. The G-Class is one of the oldest models still in production by Mercedes, starting all the way back in 1978.
The all-new 2018 Mercedes-Benz G-Class has spanned several ‘spinoff’ vehicles, from pickup trucks to other sportier SUVs. Mercedes are expected to keep the cross country car in production until 2020, although it is possible we see further generations of the G-Class in the future beyond the 2018 model.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class offers a lighter vehicle in the same box body
The prototype for the upcoming Mercedes-Benz G-Class was spotted driving in the German countryside with the automaker’s signature black and white camouflage pattern. At a glance, the SUV seems to be broader than its predecessors.
The classic G-Class is an icon for its box-shaped body, and while the new model maintains the tradition; the front of the car, the grill, and the bumper have been softened compared to previous iterations.
Mercedes’ G-Class is also known for its unique engineering, as it is one of the few vehicles that keeps the old standard of body-on-frame manufacturing and assembly. What this means is basically that the body of the car is mounted on the supporting drivetrain frame. This is opposed to current automotive standards in which the body and the frame are separate.
Thus, the G-Class is a vehicle sturdier than most, also famous for its heavy weight and having performance issues under severe conditions. The reported 2018 model seems to address these problems with the aforementioned broader frame for better stability, and lighter construction materials like aluminum to get rid of some 900 pounds of additional weight.
Under the hood, the German automaker will take advantage of its partnership with AMG to pack some much-needed power on the new G-Wagen. The high-end versions of the cross country truck will run on a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, with standard models adopting six-cylinder engines for diesel and petrol fuel.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is expected to debut sometime next year at one of the world’s major auto shows. The iconic off-road will probably hit the market as soon as 2018.
Source: Automobile Magazine