Mercedes G-wagon

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<TD class=Caption>(Photos by Hans G. Lehmann/Hidden
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<H2 class=Headline>Gelaendewagen no more: Next-gen mercedes G-Class loses Brinks
truck look</H2>
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<DIV class=Byline><>BOB GRITZINGER
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<DIV class=Date><SPAN class=FieldLabel>Posted Date: </SPAN>4/6/05</DIV>
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<FONT size=1>Back when the first Gelaendewagen rolled off an Austrian
assembly line in 1979, the spartan military-styled sport/ute wasn’t intended for
the kind of country-club duty of today’s air-conditioned, airbag-equipped,
power-everything model. But even in the luxuriously appointed guise that
Mercedes has sold in the States since late 2001, the boxy G-Class has remained
far more utilitarian than virtually any competitor, except maybe the original
Hummer H1 and the do-anything Unimog.</FONT></P>


<FONT size=1>In 2006 DaimlerChrysler’s biggest, baddest bank vault of an SUV
gets replaced by the vehicle in these spy shots (which are mildly
computer-enhanced to remove minor disguise). The new G is a relatively svelte
(at least by G-Class standards) seven-seater based on a stretched version of the
same platform found under the new R- and M-Class models coming from Mercedes’
Alabama assembly plant. With the introduction of the new G, production in
Austria will end.</FONT></P>


<FONT size=1>To avoid disappointing fans of the sturdy 4x4, Mercedes promises
the underlying M-Class four-wheel-drive system is up to G-Class-level off-road
challenges. But the company also aims to meet the needs of its well-heeled
buyers with a special top-of-the-line package featuring maximum comfort and all
the latest electronic equipment.</FONT></P>


<FONT size=1>Worldwide engine offerings will include three new V8s, a 325-hp
4.6-liter and a 410-hp 5.5-liter, with a 6.3-liter V8 AMG version rumored to
boast 465 hp. The G will also get two diesels, a 231-hp V6 and a 300-hp V8, but
U.S. sales of those engines is uncertain.</FONT></P>


<FONT size=1>Look for the G-Class to make its world debut at next January’s
Detroit auto show.</FONT></P></DIV></Table>