New Mercedes-AMG G 63 sold out until 2020

The all-new Mercedes-Benz G-Class is hot property Down Under.

The 2019 Mercedes-AMG G 63 is the first variant of the born-again G-Class range to arrive in Australia showrooms and is now available to order.

But if you put down a deposit on the $250K German juggernaut today, you'll have to wait until 2020 before you take delivery.

Global demand has outstripped supply for the brand-new off-road SUV that looks a lot like the original did when it was launched 40 years ago.

The big, blocky G-Class was originally designed as a hard-core off-road machine, but when AMG dumped a V8 into the Gelandewagen (German for cross-country vehicle, or G-Wagen for short), it added a menacing edge – and a big dose of cachet value -- to the vehicle.

Now it’s a cult-car among A-list celebrities, and the new-generation G-Class has a more luxurious interior fit-out and improved on-road manners.

"When you’ve had a vehicle in production since 1979, you're going to get everyone buying this type of vehicle,” said Mercedes-Benz Australia product communications chief, Jerry Stamoulis.

“The G 63 is a very popular vehicle and we're actually sold out until 2020."

Thanks to a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 that replaces a less-powerful 5.5-litre V8, peak power is now 430kW with torque of 850Nm. It has the sound and the look to match, with a gruff exhaust note along with pumped wheel-arches, massive wheels and side exhaust exits.

The engine's cheek-rippling power is transferred to all four wheels via a nine-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission and, while it includes low-range ratios for off-roading, the hefty 4WD blitzes the 0-100km/h dash in just 4.5 seconds.

The V8-powered Mercedes-AMG G 63 is the only model grade so far available in Australia, where it’s priced at an eye-watering $247,700 plus on-road costs.

Given that Mercedes-Benz will sell around 100 per year in Australia, that equates to around $25 million changing hands per annum – which will be closer to $28 million including statutory charges.

"We'll definitely sell more than previously, but it won't be high numbers," said Stamoulis.

A less expensive G 350d turbo-diesel variant (previously priced around $165,000), which is being launched in Europe this week, could become available in Australia next year, but global supply and demand could be the deciding factor.

"At this stage we've just got the G 63 and we're considering exactly which models we'll take after that," said Stamoulis.

Despite its overtly macho image, Stamoulis says the new Mercedes-Benz G 63 has attracted more female buyers in its latest iteration.

The Benz exec wouldn’t be drawn on whether famous Aussie film directors, musicians or movie stars are in the queue for the Mercedes-AMG G 63 (it’s odds on that Thor, son of Odin, will get one), but he did say younger customers and more women are putting down deposits.

"We have seen an increase in the amount of female customers who want G 63s,” he said.

“Definitely a young age too but this car has so much road presence there isn't an exact demographic. It has huge appeal."

Read the new review of the Mercedes-AMG G 63 here