With a lot of pomp and circumstance, and with a guest appearance from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Daimler unveiled the new 2019 Mercedes G-Class at the Detroit Motor Show. The much improved G-Wagen looks almost identical to its predecessor, and that is a good thing.
Everybody’s happy that Mercedes didn’t give in to temptations for a radical redesign of this icon. Granted, 2019 Mercedes G-Class does look a little cuddlier around the front, but that is about the biggest change in styling you can find. The rest is just softening the rough edges and making the whole thing more round and nice. Inside the cabin, however, changes have been more profound and very welcome. The entirely new cabin of the G-Class looks better than the outgoing model and features more tech and better ergonomics.
Among the main highlights of the 2019 Mercedes G-Class inside the cabin there is the double display feature for infotainment and instruments, a design that will be implemented on all new models over the next few years. The legendary off-roader also comes with a new suspension and full LED lights, not to mention more space for people and their luggage. The chassis is partly developed by AMG and boasts independent suspension with double-wishbone front axle in combination with a rigid rear axle. This and the electronic aids of the DYNAMIC SELECT system make the new G-Class even more amazing offroad and a lot better on it as well.
The 2019 G-Class launches in the U.S. in G 550 guise featuring a 420 horsepower 4.0-liter V8 gasoline engine with 450 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission with torque converter which is the optimum choice for offroading. It is rare for a new version of a universally beloved car not to be disappointing. But the Big G pulls it off. It’s pretty much perfect!
“Enhancing an icon such as the G-Class in technological terms was both a challenge and an opportunity at the same time. Each part and every bolt came under close scrutiny,” explains Dr. Gunnar Güthenke, Head of the Off-Road Product Group at Mercedes-Benz. “With the body, our main focus was on increasing the vehicle rigidity and the connections between the suspension and drivetrain with the ladder-type frame.”
