A Brief History Of The Iconic Mercedes G-Class

The G-Wagon has defined the hardcore SUV that doesn't fear off-road courses for over four decades. The idea for this ultimate SUV came in 1973 from one of the company's largest shareholders, the Shah of Iran. He wanted Mercedes Benz to make a remarkable SUV for the military which not only looks apart and attracts civilians but also excels at conquering terrains off-tarmac.

The result was the G-Wagon, a timeless off-road vehicle that evolved into more powerful versions of the years and eventually into an electricity-powered beast.

This is our quick glance into the history of the G-Wagon and how it went on to rule every offroad enthusiast's heart after all these years.  

The beginning of an Era

Mercedes partnered with Steyr-Daimler-Puch of Austria, a brand renounced to produce military vehicles.

Mercedes and Steyr-Daimler-Puch created a joint company called Galandefahrzeug-Gesselschaft. After several years of producing test models, Mercedes-Benz released the iconic Geländewagen (German for “off-road”) to European markets and the legendary “G-Wagon” was born.

As if the shape and name of the vehicle were not iconic enough, the 1979 first-generation model of the G-Wagon came in three body types: a convertible, a two-door and a four-door. Since the SUV was all about raw power and masculinity, it boasted three engine options: a 2.3-litre petrol four-cylinder, a 2.4-litre diesel four-cylinder, and a diesel five-cylinder.

For a decade since its launch, the G-Wagon garnered immense popularity worldwide due to its iconic style and unmatched off-road abilities. However, the vehicle was still barebones in terms of features and luxury. It received many comprehensive upgrades in the 1990s, which transformed the purpose-built and rugged army vehicle into an iconic and luxurious style statement. The car received luxurious features such as cruise control, leather upholstery, wooden inserts and a running board for easy ingress and egress.

Yes, today’s basic features were considered luxury back in the day.

The celebrification of the “G”

The G-Wagon also became an aspirational vehicle because of its famous users. For example, in 1980, Mercedes-Benz created a special version of the G-wagon that included a plastic encasing for Pope John Paul II’s visit to Germany. This vehicle eventually earned the nickname The Popemobile. The car was mentioned in various famous rap song lyrics and many celebrities started acquiring one in their garage, taking its aspirational values to the next level.

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The invincible G-Wagon

In 2007, Mercedes also tried replacing the old boxy G-Wagon with a more luxurious version, the GL-Class. However, the continuous customer demand forced Mercedes to keep the charming old-school G-Wagon alive to this day.

In 2013 Mercedes did the unimaginable and dropped the G63 AMG 6X6. This was a six-wheeled, off-road vehicle with a 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine that produced 544 horsepower and 760 Nm of torque (peak figures). This behemoth was only produced in a limited 100 units and sold faster than hotcakes due to its second-to-none styling and unimaginable road presence. 

The year was 2017 and nobody in their wildest dreams would have thought Mercedes to pull up with two of the hottest iterations of the G-Class to date. Yes, we are talking about the Mercedes Maybach G650 Landaulet and G550 4x4 squared.

The Landaulet was a luxurious and longer wheelbase variant of the G-Class with a half-convertible roof at the back. Whereas the G550 4X4 squared was an extremely elevated version of the G-Class with a sky-touching height of seven feet and four inches. And bigger wheels. And superior offroad capability. 

In 2019, Mercedes gave the G-Class a comprehensive update. Of course, the iconic design and styling elements were retained. The G-Class is still very much alive and is in high demand, which makes us believe that it will be here for a long time and will never get out of fashion.

A military vehicle takes the premium EV route

It is fascinating to see how a vehicle originally designed and produced for military use has grown to become one of the most iconic cars to ever roll on this planet. Currently, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is on sale in India in three variants: the legendary AMG G63 Grand Edition, G400 d AMG Line and Adventure Edition.

Keeping the electric mobility transformation in mind, Mercedes has recently launched the electric avatar of the G-Class, dubbed the G580 with EQ Technology. The car looks exactly like its ICE counterpart, however, it is heavier due to the batteries and has cool unique features such as the G-Turn, thanks to individual motors for each wheel.

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