Mercedes-Benz G-Class Cab Chassis 2016 Review

What’s it all about?

Mercedes-Benz originally designed the G-Wagen or Gelandewagen (meaning cross-country vehicle) in the 1970s as a military vehicle.

The common mythology was that it was designed for a military tender but the company didn’t get that tender so they offered it for sale to the public. Since then, the G-Wagen has morphed into many things and many applications, mainly military; but has also been taken up by government departments and mining entities throughout the world.

This is certainly due to the vehicle’s near-legendary off-road ability, strength and reliability.

While the G-Wagen has gone through many phases during its life, including high-performance models, luxury models and bare-bones utilitarian models, one thing that has stayed the same is its capability in tough going.

In 2008, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen became the preferred vehicle for the Australian Defence Force, replacing the ageing Land Rovers. The spec is known as the G-Professional or G-Pro.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has recently announced that the G-Pro cab-chassis will be available for sale to private buyers in this country – one of the only markets in the world where this model is available to the public.

Owning a G-Wagen has never been a cheap exercise. Built in Graz, Austria the G-Wagens were originally hand built, and not much has changed. Due to the differing applications and markets that the vehicles are set up for, each run of G-Wagens is somewhat bespoke.

Consequently, they’re expensive. The model we’re getting will set you back $119,900 – and that’s without a tray. It’s also without many of the luxuries that we take for granted these days. This model is built like the four-wheel drive trucks of yore – it’s utilitarian, functional and tough. The options list is short and further points to the market that this vehicle is aimed at.

You can opt for the winch prep pack which at $1900 sets the vehicle up to bolt an electric winch straight onto the front. Then you could get the walk-on bonnet for another $1900 which is reinforced and will hold a person of up to 100kg with the added benefit of a non-skid surface. A cyclone air filter will set you back another $500, and if you’re above the snow line, heated seats are available for a further $900.

Standard features include a snorkel, heavy-duty bulbar, headlight and indicator guards, underbody protection, extended door mirrors and three differential locks.

A spokesman for Mercedes-Benz said at the launch of the G-Pro that the company is thinking that only about 10 per cent of sales of the vehicle would be to private buyers. The rest would go to government agencies including the ADF, ACT Parks, Queensland Parks, the CFA, and the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

However, those private citizens who do buy the G-Professional will be getting on hell of a tough and capable vehicle.

It’s powered by a 3.0-litre V6 diesel which puts out 135kW/400Nm. The transmission is five-speed auto surprisingly with no manual available. There’s a two-speed transfer case with switching via push-buttons on the centre console. Ground clearance is quoted as 252mm and approach and departure angles are 38 and 35 degrees respectively with a ramp-over angle of 22 degrees.

Water fording is quoted at 650mm which we think is on the conservative side, as is the maximum towing weight of 2210kg.

The GVM is 4490kg and with a tare weight of 2346kg, this means that you can load up your G-Pro with two tonnes of gear and still be legal. We had 500kg of weight in the back of some of the test vehicles at the launch and hardly felt it.

The G-Professional is available for order now, although there are some stocks already in the country.

If you want any colour other than white (colours available include red, green, black, desert sand and orange), or if you want some specific options or changes, you may have to wait up to six months for delivery.

Who will it appeal to?

This vehicle is not for everyone. As one of our colleagues correctly asked: “Who would want to carry two tonnes off-road with scant regard for luxury or tech?” Not many to be sure.

But people on the land who need a highly capable vehicle that can carry a good load might look at it. It’s certainly a step up in both capability and load-carrying ability than the current crop of utes and one-tonne cab/chassis trucks.

Similarly, those adventurous types who like crossing deserts and exploring places where most others fear to tread might be interested in the G-Professional. With the back decked out with camping gear and a fold-out tent, it’d make one hell of an exploration vehicle.

It’s really quite amazing when you get into a vehicle like the Mercedes-Benz G-Professional and start throwing obstacles at it in an attempt to stop it – and you can’t!

We were at the Werribee 4WD Park near Melbourne. It’s a purpose-built facility that we’ve been to before with different vehicles, and we invariably find their limits, but this time was different.

Try as we might, we couldn’t find a track or a hill that this little truck couldn’t conquer. The combination of the 400Nm, the three diff locks, deep low reduction in the transfer case, the approach and departure angles and the 265/75 BF Goodrich All Terrain tyres made this G-Pro virtually unstoppable.

Admittedly, it’s a bit jiggly in the ride and the interior is a utilitarian compromise, but as a tool, which is what a four-wheel drive vehicle was originally designed to be, this thing is one of the best.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to drive it on the highway, so we can’t really give you an idea of its road-going performance – that’ll have to wait for another day. But we did get a really good idea of what it can do when the going gets tough, and for that alone, I can certainly see why the G-Wagen is one of Mercedes-Benz’s most enduring models.

$119,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 135kW/400Nm

Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Fuel: N/A
CO2: N/A
Safety Rating: N/A

Also consider:

>> Jeep Wrangler Ute (pricing TBA)
>> Toyota LandCrusier 70 Series (from $59,990 plus ORCs)