The iconic G-Class is set for a makeover but will keep its turbocharged V8
The G-Class (or G-Wagen) is the third oldest name in the current Mercedes line up, after the SL and S-Class, so the retro-styled SUV’s incoming facelift is a pretty significant moment.
The current generation of G-Class was launched in 2018, replacing what was effectively a 40-year old car. We can already see from these latest spy shots that the facelifted model will carry on the original’s boxy shape and off-road bias. Keeping the same formula is perhaps not surprising given Mercedes sold over 40,000 units of the G-Class in 2021.
As we’ve seen before, this test car is the AMG-developed G 63 variant that will continue on as the G-Class range-topper – going up against the Lamborghini Urus S and Range Rover Sport. Despite the camouflage there are a few new key details unveiled in these latest snapshots.
Of course, traditional design traits such as the chunky door handles, upright stance and spare wheel mounted on the rear door continue, but at the front there are new air intakes in the lower part of the reshaped bumper. The LED headlight and taillight signature look unchanged from the outgoing model, while the grille of the G 63 will be different to the G-Class and here we can see the typical AMG vertical strakes.
A hallmark design of the G 63 are the chrome side-exit exhausts, which feature on this test car. The wheels on this test car are the same 20-inch rims seen on the outgoing model, but we’ve spotted 22-inch wheels previously.
We expect the new G-Class will arrive in early 2023, and it will have plenty of rivals to go up against in the shape of the new Land Rover Defender (both the regular and V8 model), Range Rover, Audi RS Q8, Aston Martin DBX, and Bentley Bentayga. This is before you look at the new cohort of high-powered electric SUVs like the Audi e-tron and BMW iX that have the potential to eat into the G-Class customer base. Mercedes should have that covered, however, with the brand’s first electric G-Class – named the EQG – that is due to arrive in 2024.
Inside, the interior will finally get the latest version of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment software, as the G-Class is the only current Mercedes without it.
It is unknown at this stage what other changes will be made but the German marque is unlikely to completely redesign the centre console to accommodate a larger touchscreen like the one found in the latest S-Class, C-Class and SL Roadster, as the G-Glass uses its own, bespoke body-on-frame architecture instead of the new MRA2 platform used by the brand’s passenger cars.
Instead, the focus will be on new software, new functionality, updated switchgear including a touch-sensitive pad in place of the older rotary dial found in the current car, and an updated selection of trims and interior finishes for buyers to choose from.
Engines for the UK market will stick with the current offering of a 3.0-litre turbocharged 400d diesel model, and a 577bhp AMG-G 63 version, possibly updated to include the 48-volt mild hybrid version of AMG’s turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, as found in the latest E 63 super saloon.
A new 2023 G 63 4x4x2 will accompany the facelift and we’ve already driven it. It certainly takes the G 63 up a few notches in terms of off-road ability and price.
This iteration of the G-Class as we know it could be the last of its kind before the brand’s electric version arrives. The EQG concept was first shown to the public at the 2021 Munich Motor Show and it boasts a refreshed design with some distinct features such as its unconventional square-shaped rear ‘spare wheel mount’.
Check out the latest on the upcoming Mercedes E-Class here…