► 2024 petrol G-Class driven
► Iconic SUV revamped with new engine
► Diesel, electric and AMG options available
Major updates for the perennial Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV don’t come around very often. A single generation can hang around for decades before Merc decides it’s grown a little too long in the tooth, but this year marks the second time in six years that a generational evolution has come along. So, what’s the big news this time? The mighty enduring G has gone electric.
Yep, even the motorcade bruiser of empires couldn’t escape the clutches of progress. It was get real or die for the G, so Mercedes went and stuck a big battery pack in the front. You can read our review of the electric G-Wagen separately, but there’s still life in the combustion engine version yet. Mercedes has also updated the G-Wagen’s ICE lineup this year, with fresh engine options to complement a few interior tucks.
I’ve given the 2024 G-Wagen a go – the G500, to be specific. To find out what I think of the new engine, the way the 2024 G rides and its relevance on today’s landscape given its lofty price tag, read on for the full review from CAR. If you don’t get out of bed for any less than 500 horsepower, you may want to step the way of our Mercedes-AMG G63 review instead.
At a glance
Pros: Unmatched road presence, handles well, a bit special
Cons: Very expensive, not as roomy as you might think, can’t shake the attention
What’s new?
At first glance it may not seem so, but quite a lot is new on the 2024 Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Let’s start with the exterior. It’s pretty much the same as it was pre-update, but four louvres now break up the front grille – they were chrome on my car – the front and rear bumper designs have been tweaked to include new ‘squircle’ shapes and new paint colours are on offer.
The G Class has roots in military operations, but the Beverly Hillsification of the model has brought today’s version closer to Chelsea tractor than battle-hardy veteran. The silhouette still exudes muscle, but with its chrome flashes and edgy paint job, I thought that the G-Wagen I tested trod a nebulous line between mercenary war lord and the Mattel toy company.
I’m almost certain it never will, but if the corporation were to ever write a coup d’etat into the Barbie narrative, I could imagine the insurrection force storming Barbie’s compound in a fleet of baby pink Gs, covering from Ken’s small arms fire behind the 4X4’s enormous back axle. Know what I mean? No? Whatever.
A few tweaks have been made inside, as newly redesigned air vents now carry some of the exterior’s design language into the cabin – options for illumination, naturally – while the steering wheel has been updated to include touch-sensitive controls, bringing it in line with the rest of the Mercedes fleet.
As for new power units, the 2024 G-Wagen is offered in just a couple of engine configurations before hitting AMG territory. You can have yours with a 3.0-litre inline six petrol like the one I tested, the G500, or a 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel – the G450 d. Both engines also benefit from mild hybrid drive which boosts power by 20bhp, while the engine’s grunt is sent to the wheels via Merc’s nine-speed auto gearbox.
That’s about it. On with the review.
What are the specs?
As already stated, the combustion engine 2024 G-Class is available in two different configurations: G500 and G450 d. Both use an inline six-cylinder unit and deliver power via Mercedes’ 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox, but their performance stats differ. The G500 produces 442bhp – plus an extra 20 or so from the electric motor of the hybrid system – and 413lbft of torque. It’ll do 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 130 mph.
The G450 d, meanwhile, produces 367bhp and a mightily impressive 583ftlbs of torque. It can’t quite match the petrol-engine version on acceleration at 5.8 seconds to 62mph, but the two models share the same 130mph top speed. As for fuel consumption, the G450 d has a quoted economy range of between 28mpg and 32mpg, while the G500 has a combined fuel economy of between 23 and 26mpg. It’s a similar story with emissions: low ends of 248g/km in the G500 and 227g/km in the G450 d. The G-Class never was for environmentalists, after all…
What’s the interior like?
Getting into the G-Class is an event in itself. Depending on how tall you are, you may need a foot on the running board to heave yourself up, but ascending into the driver’s seat felt like hauling myself into some kind of throne. With a sharp tug at the door handle to swing it closed – more of a slam really, a G-Wagen hallmark – the door bolts locked with a chonk, and suddenly I was looking down on just about every other car on the road. Before even switching on the ignition, a veil of imperiousness descended upon me like the first light snow of Christmas.
The cabin itself is a unique specimen. The tall and straight pillars, panels, and large windows create an almost church-like setting in the G. It’s a big car, but not as spacious inside as its enormous shadow may suggest. It offers more head room than just about any series production vehicle on the market, but rear legroom is tight, and front occupants are contained by an abrupt and upright dashboard.
It reminded me of an old Defender, but it’s all part of the G’s charm. I rather liked the echoes of utilitarianism in the dashboard, with its ash-lined grab handle and sharp edges on the passenger side – the G-Wagen has fought wars, after all, and the socialites of Alderley Edge would do well to remember that. Plus, once the sun went down, the cabin came alive in its typical Mercedes light show anyway, and I was once again reminded of the opulent road this model has taken in recent years.
With its big windows and high driving position, visibility is excellent in the G-Class. The seats are electrically adjustable and oh-so-comfortable while on the road. It’s a car I felt I could’ve driven for days without getting fatigued, while the cabin’s flavours of burnished practicality gave me this abiding impression that I could go anywhere, do anything, conquer anyone…
Even the infotainment screen, which has grown into the size of an iPad Pro in most new Mercs, is still appropriately dimensioned in the G500. There was no need to make it any bigger and so it’s kept its previous measurements, aided by a welcome bank of tactile controls beneath. The graphics were sharp while the menus were easy enough to navigate through, though I never troubled the touch pad. It seemed superfluous, given the display itself is touchscreen, and the fingerprints it would’ve garnered didn’t seem worth it.
Any real drawbacks? Well, as already mentioned it’s not actually the roomiest SUV. Those who want to feel as though they’re driving around in a living room would be better off opting for a Range Rover, or a BMW X7. Both of those options offer more legroom, shoulder room, and bigger boots. Be prepared to stack in the G-Wagen – its boot can carry up to 640 litres with the seats up, but it’s the height of the roof that makes it so commodious. Luckily, though, the rear seats can fold pretty much flat, at which point total boot room swells to 2,010 litres.
What’s the G-Class like to drive?
The current G-Class engine line up is strong, but the G500 that I tested might be the sweet spot. With nearly 450 bhp, it has an enormous amount of grunt without straying into the realm of what one might consider silly – that’s the preserve of the G63. The G500 can really shift its weight well, with a nice, linear power delivery as you ascend through the revs, aided by that electric unit.
I was slightly taken aback by the growl of the engine, too. It’s not something I noticed at first, since the G’s body does a good job of insulating you from most of the burble. But with the door open a crack, I was suddenly made quite aware of a mildly raucous purr from the exhausts. A car of this stature couldn’t have done with a shrinking soundtrack – aside from the… er… electric one – and so I’m glad to report that the G500’s bassy engine note fits rather well. Not too loud, not too soft. G is for Goldilocks, in case you didn’t know.
Around town, the G Class is an absolute peach. I found the 9G-Tronic gearbox to be incredibly competent when left to its own devices, no matter the speed or setting. It didn’t hang on to gears for too long and responded well to inputs from my right foot on the accelerator.
At low speeds, the G was relatively quiet and easy to manoeuvre. The steering tune is light in its regular setting, and at 1,931mm across, it’s not the widest SUV either. To put into context, the full-fat Range Rover is 2,209mm wide with its mirrors out, so in comparison the G-Wagen is an Ozempic patient. Sure, it attracted a mix of responses from onlookers – everything from awe to envy to unrelenting, unadulterated loathing – but all things considered I felt inoffensive driving it around town.
On the motorway, the G500 kept its relative quietude. With such a steep windscreen, wind noise became quite apparent at 70ish, but it wasn’t quite enough to distract from the comfort of the leather seats and cushy ride. No surprise that it felt at home in this environment – it was through the bends of tight British B-roads where I was most pleasantly shocked.
When sitting in it, I expected the G500 to handle like Westminster Abbey, in keeping with the cabin’s general ambiance, but it never dropped its composure. It didn’t lean in to corners like I had anticipated it might, but rather stayed flat and collected – almost with an imploration to push harder and faster.
It was on these roads where the G500 engine really came alive, too. It had the low-down grunt to haul the car out of corners, and coupled with some trick suspension, it wasn’t especially jittery either. The G500 would glide along as though totally at home, dealing with pot holes and other road imperfections as though it were wiping rain drops off its forehead. I doubt many newly sold 2024 G-Wagen’s are going to moonlight as rally cars, but the way it composed itself struck me as a testament to the cleverness of its engineering development over the years. So, what about off-road?
Lamentably, I didn’t get the chance to try the 2024 G500 off-road. It’s certainly still primed for off-roading, what with its diff-lock configuration buttons front and centre on the dashboard, and its new Offroad Cockpit system. The latter provides an overview of ground conditions and other data when driving off the beaten track, to aid you in your journey and all fed through to you via the two displays.
Next time…
Before you buy
Before heading the whole AMG way, the basic G-Class is available in just one trim– AMG Line Premium Plus. Starting from £136,690 with the 450 d engine, it features 20” AMG alloys, chrome grille louvres and Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel drive system. Merc offers a ‘Night package’ which darkens several exterior components, including the lamp units, under guard and radiator grille.
Inside you get heated and electrically adjustable seats, a Thermotronic climate control panel and an opening sunroof as standard, while the interior trim is split between ash wood and Nappa leather.
As for rivals, there are plenty in the premium SUV class, but the G-Wagen has no equal. You’ve got the Range Rover in its different flavours, the BMW X5 with its own performance M division and the Porsche Cayenne. The Cayenne is a sportier model than the G-Class, and is more rewarding and engaging to drive, but I don’t think any of the above feel as special as the G. Its exceptionality does come at a premium, though, with a higher starting price than most of its rivals, while a maxed-out G63 grossly eclipses any similarly spec’d X5 or Cayenne on price.
Verdict
The G-Class is a splendid thing. I don’t think it’s the perfect SUV, but in a world now mired in SUV overkill, where everything from the Ford Puma to the Cadillac Escalade could be considered one, the G stands out as a little bit different.
It has a certain aura and charisma that many of its rivals have lost to overengineering. You could go the electric G route, but the combustion engine line up for the G-Class is so solid that I think it would be a waste to do so until you absolutely have to. Go diesel for even more low grunt and better fuel economy, but I think the G500 might be the sweet spot.
Is it worth the ludicrous price tag that puts even its top-end rivals to shame? To be honest, if you’re willing to dive into the insane world of premium SUVs at all – yes, I reckon it is.