Like the GL and GLK, Mercedes is updating the big G-Class for 2013.
Who says the Hummer is dead? All right, the big tri-star on the hood is a clear giveaway, but like the abandoned General Motors off-roader, the Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen is the sort of go-anywhere brute that gets folks to move aside when they see it approaching in the rearview mirror.
Known to Americans as the Mercedes G-Class, the civilian SUV with military roots has been around for 33 years without much change, and that holds with the latest update. Nonetheless, the 2013 G-Class does fall a little more in line with the Mercedes-Benz GL and GLK models that were introduced, earlier this month, at the New York Auto Show.
“Our G-Class has been a force to be reckoned with for the last 33 years. In its latest evolutionary stage, it offers state-of-the-art, powerful engines, a further improved range of luxurious appointments and the very latest safety features, as well, of course, as its now legendary off-road capabilities,” says Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Mercedes parent Daimler. “At the same time the design remains true to its down-to-earth, unmistakable style.”
The exterior changes are minor, including new daytime running lamps and redesigned mirrors.
The exterior changes are subtle, if you can use such a word when describing the boxy off-roader, with new daytime running lamps and revised sideview mirrors similar to the GL’s.
More significant are the revisions to the Gelandewagen’s interior, which was traditionally a much more Spartan place than the cabin of your typical Mercedes-Benz. No, you won’t confuse it with an S-Class, and some familiar details – such as the console-mounted shifter and dash-mounted grab handle remain — but the instrument panel and center cluster are all-new, and the G-Class now shares the new infotainment system updating Mercedes’ old COMAND technology.
Indeed, like everything else wearing the familiar tri-star, technology is at the forefront of the brand’s appeal. There are new features including radar-controlled active cruise control, an automatic parking assist system and blind-spot detection, to run only partway down the list.
American buyers will be offered two powertrain packages for 2013, including the G550, the naturally-aspirated 5.5-liter V-8 carrying over. It gets 6 more horsepower, at 388 hp, and 391 lb-ft of torque.
The AMG edition gets the new-for-the-G-Class twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8. Now dubbed the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, it churns out 544 horses and 560 pound-feet. It’s also expected to deliver slightly better mileage thanks to the addition of such features as Stop/Start, which quickly shuts the engine off while waiting at a light or on the fast food line.
Both engines are mated to a 7-speed automatic and, as always, the G-Wagon will come with standard low-range all-wheel-drive with controls for the three locking differentials located on the dash.
The G63 receives a few distinctly AMG exterior touches, including distinctive grille louvers and bumpers with oversized air intakes, as well as red brake calipers – with 20-inch wheels now available.
Expect to see the 2013 Mercedes-Benz G-Class in U.S. showrooms by August. The maker hasn’t released prices but the current versions start at $107,100 for the G550 and $124,450 for the outgoing G55 AMG.