Mercedes-Benz G-Class

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a four-wheel-drive luxury sport utility vehicle produced in Austria since 1979. Daimler-Benz developed the vehicle jointly with Austrian manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch for civilian and military duty.

Assembly began in Graz during 1979, offering short and long wheelbases alongside convertible and enclosed wagon bodies. The base petrol model produced 60 kW (82 hp) from a 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine linked to a four-speed manual transmission. Steyr-Daimler-Puch marketed the vehicle as the Puch G in Austria, Switzerland, and Eastern European countries until 2000. In 1980, Mercedes-Benz supplied a modified clear-sided model to the Vatican for Pope John Paul II. Racing driver Jacky Ickx and co-driver Claude Brasseur won the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1983 behind the wheel of a 280 GE.

A major overhaul in 1990 introduced full-time four-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, and three electrically locking differentials. High-output engines joined the catalog in 1993 with the limited-run 500 GE, which delivered 177 kW (237 hp) from a 5.0-liter V8. AMG performance models followed in 1999, expanding customer interest beyond utilitarian fleets into luxury urban markets. Mercedes-Benz introduced three-axle drivetrains and portal axles on special models between 2013 and 2015. Military forces across more than thirty nations, including the German Bundeswehr and the Australian Defence Force, deployed service variants across diverse operations.

Engineers executed a comprehensive redesign in 2018, installing an independent front double-wishbone suspension while preserving the ladder-frame chassis and boxy silhouette. The high-performance AMG G 63 variant generated 430 kW (577 hp), achieving a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph). In April 2023, the Magna Steyr assembly plant in Graz completed the 500,000th G-Class vehicle since assembly started. The company introduced an all-electric model in 2024 featuring four independent wheel motors and an off-road crawl turn function. Updated powertrains with mild-hybrid technology and refreshed digital displays arrived for the 2025 model year.