The Mercedes-Benz G-class will receive a complete overhaul with extensive changes for its 2017 sale year.  The facelift to the 35-year-old model will be so major that Mercedes says it will, in effect, be a new car.

Mercedes-Benz Ener G Force

The big push is to increase the car’s width for greater stability, to accommodate new front suspension and to liberate greater interior space for new, broader seats front and rear, while maintaining the character and iconic look of the current model.

“We have to be careful with our heritage,” says Mercedes SUV boss, Andreas Zygan. “We offer something really special. Last year – the 34th – was the best ever for G-class sales. It’s amazing, and one of our idols.”

The codename for the G-class remains W463, but the structure is being extensively reworked. More aluminium is being added and it is being made around 100mm wider, taking the width of the car to around 1860mm.

The change to the structure is also being made with a view to slashing the kerb weight; a reduction of more than 200kg is being touted by insiders. The current G350 weighs in at a hefty 2570kg.

The G-class’s new front suspension will use a three or four-link set-up, while a more modern electro-mechanical steering system is also being fitted.

The exterior design will retain the right-angled looks of today’s car with a near-vertical windscreen. Some inspiration could also be taken from the futuristic Ener-G-Force concept car from the 2012 Los Angeles motor show. Insiders said it not only previewed the new GL but possibly also the next G-class.

The interior overhaul will focus not only on increasing space but also comfort and quality, with interior fittings from the C-class set to make it into the venerable off-roader.

Technology levels will also be increased, with features such as LED lights and more driver assistance and safety systems set to be fitted.

The engine range will include the new 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder petrol (codenamed M256) and diesel (OM656) motors that Mercedes is working on ahead of their debut in the 2016 E-class.

In the G-class, a petrol unit with more than 360bhp and a diesel producing over 300bhp are being touted. The engines will be paired with Mercedes’ new nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox as standard, resulting in vastly improved economy.

Range-topping AMG variants, which account for half of all G-class sales, are set to follow the launch of the standard models.

Mercedes-Benz

Via: Autocar.co.uk

Everyone has heard of the G-Class — an icon of style and design since more than 30 years. The Ener-G-Force, designed by Mercedes-Benz Advanced Designers for the LA Desgin Challege is a police car of the future based on the G-Class.  A more rounded and sophisticated design, the Ener-G-Force gives us a glimpse at what we may be able to expect from future Mercedes-Benz designs across the board.

“The Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz off-road icon, the G model. Modern and cool, it could also be a clue about a new beginning for the off-road design idiom of Mercedes-Benz”, said Gorden Wagener, Director of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars.

World-class high technology and new design ideas which break beyond conventional boundaries are to be featured by Mercedes‑Benz at this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. Three newcomers will be celebrating their premiere on this automotive stage: the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, a smart fortwo electric drive which fashion designer Jeremy Scott has bestowed with wings, and the Ener-G-Force one-off vehicle featuring the genes of the Mercedes-Benz G‑Class. It shows how the off-road classic may still be able to influence the off-road design idiom of Stuttgart’s premium automotive manufacturer in the future.

With the new SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, Mercedes-AMG is all set to present the high-end version of the already legendary gullwing model. Inspired by the racing version of the SLS AMG GT3, the super sports car excites with a breathtaking design, outstanding driving dynamics and consistent lightweight construction. With a kerb weight of 1550 kg it is around 70 kg lighter than the SLS AMG, and achieves what even for super sports cars is an outstanding power/weight ratio of 2.45 kg/hp. Its AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine produces 464 kW (631 hp) at 7400 rpm and accelerates the gullwing model to a speed of 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.

The AMG RIDE CONTROL Performance suspension, the AMG high-performance ceramic composite brake system and the weight-optimised forged AMG light-alloy wheels with newly developed sports tyres, all help to raise the driving dynamics of the SLS AMG Black Series to a new level. Also making a contribution in this respect are the electronically controlled AMG rear-axle differential lock and the enhanced AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission. The AMG Aerodynamics package is optionally available to further boost the vehicle’s driving dynamics.

A functional, sporty racing car atmosphere is prevalent inside the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series, with high-quality materials demonstrating precision workmanship and exquisitely designed details, including the generous use of carbon fibre as found in the world of motorsport.

The market launch of the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series will commence in June 2013. The price in Germany (incl. 19% VAT) for the SLS AMG Coupé Black Series will be €249,900

Ener-G-Force – the off-roader for tomorrow and beyond

The question of whether the genes of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class dating from 1979 will still be asserting themselves in the distant future is being demonstrated by Mercedes-Benz in Los Angeles in the guise of a cool design study: the Ener-G-Force. According to Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars: “The Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz off-road icon, the G model. Modern and cool, it could also be a clue about a new beginning for the off-road design idiom of Mercedes-Benz”.

Built as 1:1-scale model, the design study is clearly inspired by the G-Class but presents a radical reinterpretation of this classic that looks far into the future. Important genes such as proportions and design elements were adopted conceptually and completely redesigned and updated in a clean concept for tomorrow and beyond. While the clear design idiom of the G-Class has remained, all surfaces are designed to express intensity and tension. The meticulously executed details are also a clear indication that the Ener-G-Force is the product of modern times. Like the G-Class, the Ener-G-Force sports a front with an expressive radiator grille that incorporates the headlamps. LEDs in the headlamps form lamp units in the shape of a G. This gives the Ener-G-Force a strong, iconic appearance and demonstrates dominance. The front indicators and position lights are mounted on top of the wings as a significant G-Class element.

Thanks to alternative drive systems, the Ener-G-Force should also be exceptionally environmentally friendly and able to demonstrate enhanced green-car characteristics. Four wheel-hub motors, whose output for each individual wheel is adapted precisely to the respective terrain by high-performance electronics, are designed to provide the pulling power. The striking side skirts also house quick-change battery packs. Changes in the colour of the illumination of the side skirts indicate the operating and charge status of the energy packs. A roof carrier and additional lamps are integrated into the roof.

The design study shows that the off-road classic from Mercedes-Benz, whose continuous history goes all the way back to the 1970s, could in fact tackle the future in a stylistically and technologically advanced version.

The smart grows wings

Internationally acclaimed fashion designer Jeremy Scott has used his imagination to give a smart fortwo electric drive a makeover and create an electric car which is full of a sense of ease and joie de vivre – and all set to launch a new era of urban mobility. A striking feature of the smart forjeremy is a set of wings, a typical trademark of the American star designer. They look like ignited rockets, and as such take on the form of avant-garde rear lights.

The luxurious interior of the smart forjeremy is like a dream in white with chrome highlights, thus appropriately continuing the exclusive, elegant colour design of the exterior. The smart forjeremy is based on the current series production version of the smart fortwo electric drive and is not expected to remain an unattainable pipe dream. On the contrary, this haute-couture version is to be launched onto the market next year in the form of a special limited-edition model.