Mercedes-Benz finally says farewell to the V8 held within the G-Wagon as the brand heeds to the electric powertrain. The G-Wagon will stick around, the internal combustion engine… not so much.
Say goodbye to the Beverley Hills flock of moms outside a Starbucks. Well, not really. The flagship vehicle of choice for upper class suburbs will now get an entirely new powertrain. Mercedes-Benz has marked the death of the V8 in the G-Wagon, instead opting for what we can only assume a hybrid. The rumor mill has put the status of the downgrade at a six-cylinder option, a far cry from the original format of the G-Wagon.
Meant to be a brawny and utilitarian off-road behemoth, the G-Wagon made its way into the hands of the uber-wealthy and people whose bank accounts resemble a phone number since its inception 30 years ago. Long seen as the pinnacle status symbol, the G500 and the G63 AMG both are bowing out the eight-cylinder powertrain in search of more eco-friendly options as both the United States and European Union crack down on emissions regulations.
To celebrate the swan song, Mercedes-Benz has tweaked the G500 in order to properly exit out the vehicle in style. This includes an exclusive lineup of colors including Obsidian Black, Opalith White Magno, and Olive Magno, limited to 500 units each. For all you non math wizzes out there, that means there’s only going to be 1,500 units produced total. 20-inch AMG wheels are standard– black with the first two color options, and if you’re bold and opt for the Olive Magno– you’ll get body colored wheels in order to complement the ute nature of the G500.
Sentiment runs strong throughout the G-Wagon with the Final Edition featuring script that says “stronger than time”, an ode to the G-Wagon’s storied history starting out as a steadfast military vehicle making its way on to US roads and finally into the hearts of the country’s upper echelon.
On the interior, the Final Edition gets wrapped in leather as far as the eye can see. Leather everywhere, including the seat controls and the rear cargo compartment. The Final Edition also adds on a Burmester sound system and two tone seats.
The Final Edition is just an appearance package, meaning no change has been made to the regular V8 powertrain underneath the hood. If we could afford it, the G-Wagon has evolved into one of our favorite ultra-luxury SUVs over the years, and one we’d be sad to see go. Mercedes-Benz has started development on the electric counterpart to the G-Wagon, the EQG. While it won’t be on sale for a while, we can assume it maintains the same brick-like shape as the current G-Wagon.
