The many faces of the Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen

In 2018 Mercedes-Benz invited us to Croatia and then France to sample two of its latest cars in the same week.

First up was the A-Class in Split. A nice enough improvement but how they managed to make the rear look like a Kia Cerato hatchback, we could not fathom. The next encounter in Perpignan was more enchanting: seat time with the then-new G-Class.

Even better, the brand laid out an assortment of classic Geländewagen models and unlocked the box containing the keys. Absolute heaven for any old Mercedes-Benz nut.

My industry colleague Sergio Davids and I made a beeline for a bright red specimen once used by the Austrian “feuerwehr” (fire brigade). Our minders instructed us not to use the siren, but everything else was fair play.

It was an incredible frame of reference: a proper hands-on experience of the tough, uncomplicated and hard-core roots underpinning the iconic boxy German 4x4.

The unassisted steering was expectedly weighty but not unbearable, the motor in the 230 GE was the same one deployed in cars such as the W123, so it was familiar, while the four-speed lever had a delightfully tactile quality. This short wheelbase Geländewagen felt indestructible.

Which was exactly how its makers intended. A quick history lesson. The original W460 Geländewagen saw daylight in 1979, designed for heavy-duty applications that did not exclude military-related services. The German name means “all-terrain” vehicle.

Remember Mercedes-Benz has always had a strong commercial arm in parallel to its passenger cars. The Geländewagen complemented an existing line of specialised products including the mighty Unimog. It was developed in co-operation with Steyr-Daimler-Puch.

You could think of the Geländewagen as Germany's answer to the Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender or Toyota Land Cruiser 70-Series lineages. Simple, square, built to crush tough cross-continental journeys.

Like most automotive icons with timelines spanning decades, the stylistic template of the Geländewagen has remained unaltered. That square silhouette breathed on by the legendary Bruno Sacco has been retained.

The Geländewagen recipe overall has hardly been altered: three significant series evolutions have been made over its lifespan. The W460 was succeeded by the W461 in 1992, which soldiered on until the W463 took the baton in 2018 — marking the most dramatic upgrade in refinement, luxury and on-road dynamics.

Still, despite the plush trappings of a leather-lined cabin and the contemporary MBUX infotainment set-up, underneath, the W463 packed a classical ladder-frame chassis with locking differentials, as well as a tried and tested 4x4 system.

The 2022 W464 was an enhancement of the 2018 model and with the W465 facelift, the most radical change made is in the powertrain department where, for the first time, buyers can have it as an electric vehicle.

It's quite remarkable how the G-Class mystique has transcended far beyond the original, work-ready brief that was first envisaged. In an old TopGear review presenter Richard Hammond described the W461 G55 AMG as the “Swiss Army knife” of vehicles for its usefulness and adaptability in all environments.

We are most accustomed to seeing G-Class specimens thundering around Sandton or parked outside exclusive locations, but nice to know there is substance beyond that aura. It was not conceived as a fashion accessory. Though it has become emblematic of a “soft life” in our time.

Admittedly, my scepticism was high, getting acquainted with the new electric G-Class (G580) at Zwartkops in Tshwane this week. Those familiar six-cylinder diesel and fire-breathing V8 derivatives had proven extremely flattering to the brawny Geländewagen package; the former offering genuine overlanding range and the latter, genuine showboating abilities.

There were no track exploits on the agenda — instead we put the model through the off-road course adjacent to the circuit.

It takes some getting used to, having such a behemoth creep along in silence; then feeling the surprising urgency with which it sprints, snout reared up for extra theatrics. The G580 has a claimed 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds.

That is achieved by the fitment of four electric motors (one at each wheel) drawing from a 116kWh battery. Total power is rated at 432kW and torque at a whopping 1,164Nm. Certainly not short of grunt for surmounting all off-road obstacles.

The Zwartkops simulation seemed far too easy a task for the G580, with its “virtual” differential locks enabling variable distribution of torque among the individual wheels, towering 250mm ground clearance and off-road-optimised adaptive dampers.

The car sauntered quietly through the muddied ruts and ascents. We also had a chance to try the novel “G-Turn” and “G-Steering” functions. The former allows a 360º turn on the spot. Leave it to you to conjure up scenarios in which that would be necessary. But the system works — as the ravaged lawns at Zwartkops will attest. The “G-Steering” meanwhile facilitates easier manoeuvrability (off-road), basically locking the rear axle, initiating drift-like actions around tighter corners.

At R4,647,456 the electrified G580 is going to be a prospect for a handful of well-heeled customers who fancy the idea of blending tradition with progression. They can rest assured it stays true to the promise peddled by the brand's marketing suits: “This is still a G — just electric.”

And if you are not buying into the idea of a battery-powered G, it is good to know the internal combustion counterparts remain firmly part of the line-up.