Mercedes-Benz G 500 4X4²
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class, sometimes colloquially called the G-Wagen (as an abbreviation of Geländewagen) is a four-wheel drive automobile manufactured by Magna Steyr (formerly Steyr-Daimler-Puch) in Austria and sold by Mercedes-Benz. Originally developed as a military off-roader, later more luxurious models were added to the line. In certain markets, it was sold under the Puch name as Puch G until 2000.
The G-Wagen is characterised by its boxy styling and body-on-frame construction. It uses three fully locking differentials, one of the few passenger car vehicles to have such a feature.
Despite the introduction of an intended replacement, the unibody SUV Mercedes-Benz GL-Class in 2006, the G-Class is still in production and is one of the longest-produced vehicles in Daimler’s history, with a span of 43 years. Only the Unimog surpasses it. In 2018, Mercedes-Benz launched a technically new second generation, still with only minor design changes.
The G-class was developed as a military vehicle from a suggestion by the Shah of Iran (Mohammad reza Pahlavi) (at the time a significant Mercedes shareholder) to Mercedes and was later offered as a civilian vehicle in 1979.
