We have heard this before. Someone at Mercedes fancies to give the G-Class a new look, but when they start working on it they realize the original look is the best. This time though, it seems the officials are quite serious about revising the big G, for this time they are talking about major structural changes.

According to insider reports, the next Mercedes G-Class which is set for a 2017 debut, will be considerably wider than the current version (up to 100mm) for the sake of stability, and it will be significantly lighter (about 200 kg) thanks to extensive use of aluminum.

These two factors are enough to put off hard-core G-Class fans who believe the car’s narrow width and hefty weight are the main reasons it is such a goof off-roader. Mercedes, however, wants to make the car a better on-roader, because that’s where the car spends most of its life. They will give it new suspension and new steering system, and they will probably take away the old mechanical diffs as well, replacing them with electronic stuff.

As for the design, while the next Mercedes G-Class will retain the iconic angular looks, it will be heavily revised with cues taken from the Ener-G-Force concept and the current GL. Sounds disappointing, but Mercedes promises they are fully aware of the car’s status and they won’t ruin it.

Via Autocar