With 4 electrical motors and 579-HP on faucet, the G-Wagen is a technological powerhouse, nevertheless it’s a Geländewagen first.
There are few luxurious patrons extra explicit than G-Wagen homeowners. The Rolls-Royce and Pagani crowd definitely evaluate, however nothing else will do for many who’ve fallen underneath the G’s spell. There’s a great motive for the fanaticism. Whilst the luxurious off-roader market swells, the Geländewagen stays probably the most characterful. From its boxy form to its upright driving place, even right down to its doorways’ satisfying sound as they lock into place, the G’s cult following isn’t unintended.
But this heightened stage of fanaticism creates a novel drawback for Mercedes-Benz. Given the present laws sweeping throughout Europe, the German carmaker has to construct an electrical variant of what’s arguably the mannequin most intently related to its model. Nevertheless, as autos such because the EQS display, the three-pointed star isn’t afraid of taking dangers with radical new designs, however as that automobile has additionally confirmed, large adjustments don’t all the time lead to large gross sales.
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Expertise, its title a results of the marque partially ditching the “EQ” moniker in favor of the numeric designations it’s used for years, is the first-ever electrical G-Wagen. Nevertheless, it’s in contrast to any Mercedes EV earlier than it in that it doesn’t dive headfirst into the long run by utterly ditching the previous. It rides on a modified model of the ladder-frame platform that underpins the refreshed W465-generation truck, itself largely a carry-over from the W464-gen that debuted in late 2021.
Regardless of primarily getting used as a luxurious SUV, the G580’s retention of this ladder body design implies that going electrical doesn’t come at the price of off-roading prowess. Its battery, a pack with a 116 kilowatt-hour usable capability, sits sandwiched inside the body to avoid wasting house. Mercedes-Benz encased it in a torsion-resistant cage to guard it, permitting you to confidently deal with an off-roading path worry-free. Further underbody safety exists to make sure that this $162,650 ($192,690) offroader all the time comes dwelling intact.
4 electrical motors, one for every wheel, ship a considerable output of 579 horsepower and 859 pound-feet of torque. Every is paired with its personal transmission, and regardless of missing conventional locking differentials, it achieves the identical impact through its torque vectoring system. This setup additionally permits its G-Flip mode, which lets you full a full rotation on the spot, a useful trick if you end up on a path unable to proceed ahead.
But whereas its 4.6-second 0-60 mph time is fast for a automobile that weighs 6,746 kilos, 1,102 lb greater than a Rolls-Royce Phantom for these conserving rating, the range-topping G63 continues to be king due to its even faster 4.2-second time.
In the true world, nevertheless, the EV feels just like the swifter sibling, due to the moment response of its powertrain. Regardless of its weight, its excellently tuned dampers imply you don’t really feel its further heft in most eventualities. And just like the broader W465-generation vary, its experience is extra compliant than earlier fashions, reaching close to Vary Rover experience high quality. After all, the G’s quirks stay, comparable to a tall-riding physique that leans hilariously and an upright driving place that makes you are feeling such as you’re sitting extra on the G than in it.
But herein lies its biggest power. The G580 is perhaps a technological powerhouse, nevertheless it’s a G-Wagen first. In the event you don’t catch its barely smoothed-out grille, cladded A-pillars, or barely flared wheel arches, you’d be hard-pressed to inform that you just’re not taking a look at its gas-powered twin. Its steering stays heavy, its doorways require a correct closing slam, and its inside house is unchanged.
There are some drawbacks, in fact. Its EPA-estimated 239-mile vary falls properly wanting the tri-motor R1S’s 371-mile determine, regardless of the Rivian producing considerably extra energy at 850 hp whereas providing comparable off-roading chops. The G’s 400-volt structure means it’ll cost at a most of 200 kilowatts, taking 32 minutes to leap from 10 to 80%, and a few of its regenerative braking settings might use some fine-tuning as coming to a easy cease could be difficult.
For these for whom solely a G-Wagen will do, the G580 nails the basics of what makes a terrific electrical automobile. Its adoption of batteries doesn’t diminish its character. Whatever the setting, it looks like a Geländewagen first and an EV second. One of many criticisms most frequently directed in the direction of EVs is that their character is diminished by ditching their inner combustion powerplant. But, as the primary electrical Geländewagen demonstrates, the persona that constructed its cult-following lives on.
Stats:
Motors: 4, one by every wheel
Battery: 116 Kilowatt-hour
Vary: 239 Miles EPA
Weight: 6,746 Kilos
0-60 MPH: 4.6 Seconds
Base Worth: $162,650
As-Examined Worth: $192,690
This text appeared in our Might 2025 Difficulty.
Introducing the fortieth Anniversary April 2025 challenge of duPont REGISTRY, #480, starring the EarthRoamer LTx. To get your arms on a replica, both purchase a single challenge or subscribe.
