
Mercedes-Benz celebrate birthday of the oldest model in their line up: The G-class.
It is now produced for 30 years! Considering that we talk of a model from one of
the world's most innovative car makers, this appears to be very remarkable. The
vehicle might have undergone some refreshments in course of time, but, the basis
still stems from 1979!
Of course, that's noticeable at just one glance! The chiselled exterior sticks out
of the SUV crowed on the road. Only the good old Land Rover Defender still features
this anarchic styling which is deeply loved by some customers! In any case it makes
it so special. Nevertheless, the Benz boys did their very best, and their very best
is the finest gettable, to update the 'vintage car' in the programme. They put in
all electronic gadgets, the latest mechanics and of course, also looks have been subtly
revised.
One thing has never changed: Its personality. It is solid, tough and reliable which is
what many like most with the G-class. It offers a way to run an off roader without being
socially dennounced because of riding one of an absolutely pointless SUV. But,
finally this has brought new demands. Customers asked for more luxury, even though it
was about an off-road vehicle.



So Mercedes started equipping the old G with almost anything available on the S-class
and it turned out that buyers were keen on all the modern features. A survey found that people
who purchased a G-class had an even higher average income than those who ordered the
S-class - the flagship of the house. And even AMG brought out a respective model too.
Considering its actual purpose and the totally unathletic car body this seems pretty
odd!
Not only is it as shapely and flat as a railroad freight car, it has roughly the air drag
coefficient of the factory in which it is built. Those who like the car don't care about
that. Quite the opposite: they like this. But, there will be another problem in the future.
It is going to become more difficult
and less worthwhile to adapt the most recent safety features because produced units decline.





Mercedes already offer an option in the form of an extend M-class, the GL-class. Nonetheless
there are a lot who want the original, some because it has got better all-terrain capabilities
than modern SUVs have, some because its design stands out of the main stream. Whether this
is enough to make Daimler keep the Uncle G in the programme is not sure, sadly. Mercedes tuning
company Brabus at least didn't give up on the car and offers a 700hp conversion.
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