The Mercedes G-Class is returning to its off-road roots as spy photographers have snapped new photos of the upcoming 4×4² variant. Looking beautiful in blue, the latest prototypes are based on the G63 and make their intentions known as they’re outfitted with wider fender flares, a roof rack, and a beefy spare tire carrier. They’re joined by a lifted suspension, a secondary bumper, and massive wheels wrapped in off-road rubber.
Mercedes is keeping details under wraps,
but the previous G500 4×4² was launched in 2015 and featured portal axles,
three locking diffs, and 22-inch wheels. The SUV also sported 450
mm of ground clearance and a fording depth of 1,000 mm.
This made the model an off-road beast, but
it certainly wasn’t cheap thanks to a € 231,693 sticker price that included a
19% VAT. Despite its high price tag, the vehicle was well-received by the
Geländewagen faithful and it unfortunately went out of production in the fall
of 2017.
However, like a phoenix, it’s rising from
the dead and will presumably feature a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that
develops 577 hp and 849 Nm of torque. This
enables the standard G63 to accelerate from 0-96 km/h in 4.5
seconds, but the G63 4×4² will likely be a bit slower thanks to its numerous
off-road focused modifications. There’s no word on when the model will be
introduced, but Mercedes is also working on a facelifted G-Class so it’s
possible we might have a bit of a wait ahead of us.
