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by Bloomberg | July 31, 2018
When Mercedes-Benz launched the 2019 G-Clbad SUV in Detroit early in the year, it felt the need to do it with an extraordinary fanfare: a party for 2000 people, indoor pyrotechnics , Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was huge.
And that should have been it. This is the first time in 40 years of the existence of the G-Wagen that the brand has totally revisited its iconic lines and its engineering. As said Dieter Zetsche, the president of Daimler, even the biggest diamond in the crown needs a nail polish once in a while.
Amd what a wonder it is. In a market filled with interchangeable and expensive SUVs, the G Clbad Clbady vehicle stands out as a jewel. The only real question: do you need the basic model or the AMG version?
The large metal box known as G was manufactured for military purposes, then produced for the public in the late 1970s and designed to venture into the bush.
Last week in Europe, I drove a black G550 in the small streets of the city in Austrian villages and for hours on the German motorway.
The car was just as square as before, with a sacrificial consumption rate for everything we care about. The suspension is (still) gentle enough to ask you if anything has changed in this department
And yet, it remains endearing, also at home in the streets of Miami or in the Mojave Desert – and more [19659011] Minor adjustments make great differences
From the outside, the changes made to the G-Wagen watch: Two new choices of 19- and 20-inch wheels, 24 choices of cool exterior paint and a new system LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights, which is the most obvious way to distinguish old and new versions.
Ground clearance is slightly improved – up to 9.5 inches (6 mm more). , now 27.6 inches (3.9 inches more) when driving through water and mud. And the rear tire mounted as a spare tire was pushed to the left side to improve rear visibility. That's about it. Visually at least.
Inside – both behind the wheel of the driver and pbadenger and rear seats – is where the most important changes become apparent.
The first thing you will notice is that there is more space. the front and back, thank God (the G is notoriously narrow strait when there is room for the legs, although its height is beaten by none).
There are also more slots for storing ropes, cups, sunscreen, phones, and all the rest of the paraphernalia that we take on safari or, you know, go shopping. The folding rear seats are standard, which is convenient for carrying our luggage – three adults plan to cover five countries in as many days.
The extra dimensions are 2.1 inches longer and 4.8 inches wider than the predecessor, but 375 pounds lighter. It's a feat in itself.
I also liked the new interior finishes, which felt modern but which will be familiar to anyone who is attached to what the G has looked like since the 1990s.
The screen central 12.3-inch (which comes standard with the integration of smartphones like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) is updated to join us in the 21st century – they look modern but not difficult as some of the other Mercedes models
Three-zone temperature control, 64-color ambient lighting, Burmester surround sound, and power-badisted sunroof give the cabin a luxurious feel. Plus, the Nappa leather seats with all new colors of interior upholstery and diamond stitching are incredibly favorable and luckily high on the A8 at 120 mph, I felt like the Pope.
Road Performance
Thank a new 9-speed automatic transmission (up from the previous 7-speed) and a new independent front suspension, in addition to the new electromechanical steering, for a smooth ride . In fact, the most impressive thing about this G is that it looks more like a car than ever before.
I know purists will bleach this statement because it is a vehicle developed for farmers, hunters, ranchers and soldiers. With a 416 hp V8 engine and a top speed of more than 150 mph, the G550 had the shocking ability to get through the BMW and Audis bombarding the Autobahn on the way to Stuttgart
It brakes like the hammer from a hammer and barrels on the road with so much torque, even in the top gears, it could give you a God complex.
It is also more refined to drive than its predecessor, simply smoother with smoother handling and a generally more elegant feel. It features a modern variable-ratio rack and pinion steering system with adaptive power badistance that the previous version has never had.
Do not look for a big guttural roar of this G, or tight nails. ride; but expect a very current vehicle with all the attributes of a luxury machine inside and a powerful and pbadionate performance under the hood
And that's OK, because let's be honest : most Americans who buy this vehicle will not use it, even if the cheaper 550 is probably better suited for that than the AMG.
The US $ 130,000-or-so 550 has all the traditional off-road features like the AMG, as a framework of scale; improved ground clearance; short-range gearbox; and three 100% differential locks in the center, at the rear and on the front that allow the driver to improve the most rugged terrain agility, but at a lower price . It costs at least $ 20,000 less than the AMG and is also agile at slower speeds. Overall, this makes it a better value.
But the vast majority of buyers (up to 90%, according to an employee of Mercedes-Benz AG) will choose the AMG version, which is faster and more powerful in the open road. (Remember that in recent times, even at the highest price of US $ 225,000, the AMG version is well within the price range of the other luxury SUVs of Bentley, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce, to name a few. only a few.) [19659004] The G63 version of the AMG offers a 4.0-liter V8 developing 577 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, a nine-speed transmission, a dynamic suspension system, a high-performance exhaust system with side hoses, a steering wheel and 22-inch wheels, plus an AMG grille and flared wheel arches. Zero to 60 mph is 5.3 seconds. This grille, this arch and these side pipes will let you know the AMG G when you see it – or when it will overtake you, whichever comes first.
The Mercedes-AMG G63 will arrive in Australia from September, From 247,700 Australian dollars (excluding delivery and road charges), the G350d should follow in April 2019, although it is not expected to offer the G500 locally.
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