New-look G-Wagen debut
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• The facelifted MercedesBenz G-Wagen will first appear at the Frankfurt Show next year, and will feature permanent four-wheel-drive, the six-cylinder petrol engines from the passenger car range, and a smoother line to the body.
Military versions of the GWagen will continue to use the current body and will be built alongside the new models. Mercedes also has plans for a completely new body for the G-Wagen in two years' time.
The German manufacturer's tie-up with Steyr of Austria will continue with the facelifted GWagens, and Mercedes will continue to supply the tooling and parts for the G-Wagen to be built at Steyr's Graz factory. Steyr contributes the buildings, workforce and power to the arrangement.
The showing of the new model should mark the launch of a marketing push for the GWagen.
The price of the vehicle will be increased to move it up the market, and out of the hotlycontested, Japanese-dominated, recreation 4 x 4 arena.
As predicted by Commercial Motor (CM 27 October-2 November), the revamped GWagen will feature a number of changes to the driveline, which include a mechanical full-time four-wheel-drive system, and electrical locking for the mechanical front, rear, and centre differentials.
The interior trim will be completely changed using seats and panels from the passenger car range. The dashboard will also come from the passenger cars.
Externally there are few changes, but there are a number of small alterations to improve the lines of the cumbersome-looking vehicle. The rear fuel filler will move to the side of the body, the rear light clusters are changed, and the protruding plastic rubbing strip along the side of the GWagen will be dropped.