After 35 years of doing as little as possible, Mercedes is planning to give the enduring Geländewagen its first major overhaul in 2017.
According to Autoweek , Mercedes wants to widen the G-wagen by up to four inches, shave 400 pounds from the curb weight using more aluminum and high-strength steel, and install all-new powertrains and electronic systems. Since its 1979 debut, Mercedes hasn’t changed the truck’s basic structure or dimensions, and only last year did it finally redesign the interior to sweep away parts that seemed left over from the 1980s.
A lighter overall G means that Benz can throw in a gasoline six-cylinder engine without turning down performance to the level of a WWII halftrack. AW reports a new 3.0-liter inline-six in development for the next E-class in 2016 will produce more than 360 hp and pair with the company’s upcoming nine-speed automatic. (U.S. buyers have only seen gas V-8s since the G was first offered here for 2002.) That, along with electric power steering to replace the ancient recirculating-ball setup, will help the G-wagen improve its dastardly drinking problem. A new front suspension may turn handling from treacherous to cautionary.
During a brief chat in Geneva, Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche told us the G’s iconic, squared-off design language wouldn’t change. The interior, however, will be all-new, and you can expect the cabin to adopt the look of the 2015 C-class and also to be fitted with wider seats. A new electronic architecture that can accommodate the latest Benz safety aids will also show up.
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We love the G with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, so forgive us if this whole thing makes us a bit nervous—we’re worried that Mercedes might go too far in tweaking the ludicrous formula that makes the SUV so endearing. And we’re not so sure much needs to change: Worldwide G-wagen sales have tripled since 2009, and Benz moved nearly 2500 of its bread boxes—half of them AMGs—in the U.S. last year. Most of the development costs were paid for before Reagan began serving a second term, and Daimler’s perpetually renewed assembly contract for the G with Magna Steyr is current through 2019. And there’s this: If noted G owner Kim Kardashian can deal with a narrow overall width, can’t the rest of us? But whatever Mercedes has up its sleeves, we await developments on the G’s future with bated breath.
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