Plenty of sport-utility vehicles have softer curves and smoother rides than the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. But the G is legendarily tough, extraordinarily versatile, and especially popular with design-minded drivers. It’s hard to imagine any other automobile that can count both the Pope and Lil’ Kim among its devoted owners. And the 2013 edition offers enthusiasts some tantalizing enhancements in technology and performance.
Over the decades, the G-Class has evolved, but quietly, almost invisibly. Originally tailored for military use in the 1970s, the four-wheel-drive Geländewagen (“overland vehicle”), as it was initially called, was adapted for civilian production in 1980. Yet Mercedes-Benz did not sell it in the U.S. for another two decades, and off-roading aficionados had to import the G-Class from Europe. It first showed up in places like Taos, New Mexico, and Sun Valley, Idaho, though these days the G is just as likely to be spotted with the valet at the Chateau Marmont or shuttling summer commuters between Manhattan and the Hamptons. (Pope Benedict’s customized version was commissioned a few years ago to replace the first Popemobile, called Papa-G, which is now in the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany.)
For 2013, there are two models: the G550 and the top-of-the-line G63 AMG. In both, the G-Class basics haven’t changed: the V-8 engine, the all-wheel drive, the signature boxy, geometric profile. Keen-eyed admirers will be able to distinguish the recent iterations by their new LED daytime running lights and side mirrors. And the interiors are now offered with additional leather and wood choices from Mercedes’s custom Designo palette—care to match a Mystic Red leather interior with Piano Black lacquer trim? The biggest overhaul, however, is in the technology. Each model is equipped with Parktronic (the sonar-based aid for easing into tight spots), Distronic Plus (the smart cruise control that automatically brakes if you get too close to the car in front), blind-spot assist, and a seven-inch HD screen for Mercedes’s latest navigation-and-information system.
In the G550, the engine is loaded with 382 horsepower, yet it’s more economical than the 2010 release, thanks to the Eco Start/Stop mechanism, which cuts off the engine at idle. Still, averaging 15 miles per gallon on the highway, it will never be mistaken for a Prius.
For those looking for even more muscle, the twin-turbo G63 AMG model provides a whopping 536 horsepower and features distinctive details such as dual side-pipe exhausts and red brake calipers. It’s an off-roader unlike anything else on the road—even if it never leaves it. The 2013 G550 starts at $113,000, the G63 AMG at $134,300.
