The legendary Mercedes G-Class was originally designed as a tough military vehicle but with the passage of time it’s become softer and more civilized. And now in 2010 as it turns 31, it even becomes environmentally responsible! We are talking about the latest variant of this awesome offroader, which is the G 350 BlueTEC  powered by an ultra-clean  diesel engine.

The V6 diesel engine in the G 350 BlueTEC develops 155 kW or 210 hp (very weak!) at 3400 rpm and has a torque of 540 Nm between 1600 and 2400 rpm. It also uses AdBlue, an aqueous urea solution which is injected into the exhaust-gas stream and converts up to 80 percent of the nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water. One full tank of AdBlue is good for around 12,000 kilometres. So it easily covers EU5 standards.

The standard specification of the G350 BlurTEC includes the electronically controlled traction system 4ETS, the Electronic Stability Program ESP and three differential locks selectable at the push of a button, alongside the permanent all-wheel drive with off-road ratio and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission.

It’s all very good, but a G-Wagen with a clean diesel engine is kinda like a gun without bullets! We love the G-Class but with that big rumbling AMG supercharged V8. Not a pathetic diesel unit.

The stalwart of the off-road scene continues to enjoy success after success, as underlined by the latest readers’ polls. In the readers’ poll for “Off-roader of the Year 2010” held by the motoring magazine “Off Road”, the legendary G-Class notched up a double success: it won first place in the “Luxury off-roader” category, while the special EDITION.PUR model, which entered production in 2009 to mark the 30th anniversary of the G-Class, took second place in the “Classic” category.

These latest public awards make the G-Class one of the most popular and highly acclaimed models in the world of off-road vehicles, as a look at the other major awards received in recent years reveals. For the seventh time, the readers of “Off Road” have awarded the title of “Off-roader of the Year” to the G-Class, following its successes in 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. In its 2007 and 2009 readers’ polls, the off-road magazine “4Wheel Fun” declared the “G” to be a “Superstar”. Following its successes in 2003 and 2007, the readers of “Motor Klassik” once again voted the Mercedes-Benz G-Class the “Classic of the Future” last year. And no less than 14 times, readers of the motoring magazine “auto motor und sport” have chosen the G-Class as the world’s best off-road vehicle.