Cars
Mercedes Takes Soft Touch to First G-Class Redo Since 1979
- Boxy look stays as Mercedes adds flat-screen displays
- Market for the SUV has shifted from soldiers to celebrities
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicle at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, Jan. 14.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergIn the first revamp of the G-Class since the rugged sport utility vehicle’s introduction nearly four decades ago, Mercedes-Benz took the approach that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
There’s a special “G” mode for offroad driving and a large flat screen. But aside from such flourishes, the styling is still dominated by flat steel surfaces and a utilitarian interior, the car’s still got a brawny gasoline engine, and it’s still mainly hand-built in Graz, Austria.