Photo: Mercedes-Benz
All eyes are on the W464 G-Class, but the all-new model series isn’t ready to show what it’s made of just yet. Until that moment finally comes, the W463 we all know and love will continue to break milestones and people’s hearts. In fact, Mercedes-Benz is proud to announce that Magna Steyr in Austria has finished the 300,000th example of the off-road breed.
The count from one to 300,000 starts with the first civilian-spec W460, which rolled off the production line in 1979. That’s 38 years or about 7,895 G-Class vehicles on average per year. For an automotive legend that enjoys cult status among off-road enthusiasts, that’s plenty enough, more so considering the price of a Mercedes-Benz G-Class in this day and age.
In its most no-frills configurations, the W463 Gelandewagen carries a retail price of 80,444 euros value-added tax. That’s for the work-oriented G 350 d Professional, not the €91,410 G 350 d you see parked in front of a glitzy restaurant. At the other end of the scale, the Sondermodell G 500 4x4 Squared is a mind-boggling €231,693. Big daddy Mercedes-AMG G65, meanwhile, takes top honors with the ludicrous price of €275,723.
Despite the stratospheric pricing, looks at who drives G-Class vehicles these days. It’s easy to notice pattern, and Mercedes-Benz revels in the fact Hollywood stars and the well-heeled can’t get enough of the Gelandewagen. Beyond the imposing looks and unapologetic fury hiding under the hood of V8- and V12-powered models, the W463 also means business where the tarmac ends and the mud, ruts, rocks, and snow begin.
“The production of 300,000 G-Class models is an impressive milestone,” underlines Dr. Gunnar Guthenke, head of the off-road product group at Mercedes-Benz. “The team which has contributed substantially to this success includes employees who have been part of the story of the G-Class for 38 years. We have enjoyed decades of successful cooperation with Magna Steyr in the production of the G-Class.” The reasons Mercedes-Benz and Magna Steyr’s peeps are jumping for joy don’t end here, though.
2016 saw the G-Class hit a new sales record, with almost 20,000 units being sold within a year. In fact, the Gelandewagen broke sales record after sales record every year since 2012. Having said these, want to bet a tenner on the imminent commercial success of the soon-to-arrive W464 G-Class?
In its most no-frills configurations, the W463 Gelandewagen carries a retail price of 80,444 euros value-added tax. That’s for the work-oriented G 350 d Professional, not the €91,410 G 350 d you see parked in front of a glitzy restaurant. At the other end of the scale, the Sondermodell G 500 4x4 Squared is a mind-boggling €231,693. Big daddy Mercedes-AMG G65, meanwhile, takes top honors with the ludicrous price of €275,723.
Despite the stratospheric pricing, looks at who drives G-Class vehicles these days. It’s easy to notice pattern, and Mercedes-Benz revels in the fact Hollywood stars and the well-heeled can’t get enough of the Gelandewagen. Beyond the imposing looks and unapologetic fury hiding under the hood of V8- and V12-powered models, the W463 also means business where the tarmac ends and the mud, ruts, rocks, and snow begin.
“The production of 300,000 G-Class models is an impressive milestone,” underlines Dr. Gunnar Guthenke, head of the off-road product group at Mercedes-Benz. “The team which has contributed substantially to this success includes employees who have been part of the story of the G-Class for 38 years. We have enjoyed decades of successful cooperation with Magna Steyr in the production of the G-Class.” The reasons Mercedes-Benz and Magna Steyr’s peeps are jumping for joy don’t end here, though.
2016 saw the G-Class hit a new sales record, with almost 20,000 units being sold within a year. In fact, the Gelandewagen broke sales record after sales record every year since 2012. Having said these, want to bet a tenner on the imminent commercial success of the soon-to-arrive W464 G-Class?
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