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The Steyr-Puch G290 doesn't know the meaning of the words "lifestyle 4x4". It's a serious off-roader aimed directly at the emergency and specialist users. Operators can choose from a number of versions, all with solid build quality. But they come with a hefty price tag. So just how serious are you about getting off the beaten track?
The Steyr-Puch G290 TD may look strangely familiar but don't be fooled. Beneath that mid-1970s styling lies a 3.5 tonne van running on a seriously tough chassis and an up-to-the-minute drivetrain, with outstanding off-road ability thrown in.
The G290's roots can be traced back to the original Mercedes-Benz G.-Wagen, a joint venture between Mercedes and Austria's SteyrDaimler-Puch organisation. Known to Steyr as the Type 463, it was essentially a heavyduty car and was marketed as a Range Rover competitor, although a few commercial variants were also sold.
The G-Wagen was sold under both M-B and Steyr-Puch branding, according to local preferences. In the UK, it proved to be neither fish nor fowl; too expensive for the utility market and not refined enough for the Kensington off-road crowd. Although it's still theoretically available in the UK, nobody at M-B (UK) can actually recall the last sale.
Cut to Act Two and enter Automotive Technik. Kept reasonably busy by supporting the 500 Pinzgauer rapid-response vehicles in service with the British Army, the Steyr-Puch importer found itself with some spare capacity at its new Aldershot premises and decided to fill the gap with an updated G-Wagen. This time the G is built on Steyr's Type 461 chassis, which is a full-blown commercial vehicle frame.
Who, or what, is Steyr-Puch? Its primary role is as an automotive design consultancy, specialising in all-wheel-drive transmissions. But it's also happy to manufacture the completed designs right up to finished vehicles.
S-P's current portfolio includes building all European market and right-hand-drive Jeep Cherokees and Chrysler Voyagers, and all Mercedes-Benz 4x4 saloons, as well as building 4x4 transmission components for the IP"
PHOTOGRAPHY by PETER CRAMER
44 Volkswagen Transporter Syncro and Land Rover FreeLander. Under its own badge, it makes the G290 and the Pinzgauer which, as well as performing military duties, is making significant inroads into the UK market for compact fire appliances.
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