It was 1979. Jimmy Carter was president of the United States and there was a Soviet Union. The U.S. has just experienced its first gas crisis and Ronald Reagan was gearing up to run for president. It was then that Mercedes-Benz first introduced its now legendary G-Class.
Back to 2007. The Class G remains but now there are plans afoot to spruce it up. Current include the G 320 CDI (diesel for you Yanks), the G 500, and the G 55 AMG.
Standard features are plentiful as one can expect from a Mercedes. Four circular analog dials and chrome ring dominate the instrument cluster. The G 500 and G 55 AMG center console includes the Comand APS control, DVD navigation unit, CD player, and telephone keypad.
The G 320 CDI will come with a leather trim steering wheel as standard while a wood/leather trim will appear on the G 500 and G 55 AMG.
Options include:
- A rearview camera
- A tire pressure monitoring system
- A sports exhaust system for the G 500 Station wagon.
- An “ARTICO” interior package that features man-made leather in strategically placed areas
Full press release can be found at the link.
The G-Class will go on sale in mid-April. Our take? The G-Class, while luxurious, is an oddity among the Mercedes line. Its boxy design and truck-based architecture makes it almost a throwback among today's crossovers. Reports go back and forth if Mercedes will either retired the military-esque SUV or develop a replacement.
Via eMercedesBenz