Yahoo Autos 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class Preview: Same-old looks, new tech inside and under-hood
Ahead of the launch of the refreshed Mercedes-Benz G-Class, all the talk has been on the new all-electric version. And why not? When you have a giant, three-ton brute that can quite dramatically spin on its own axis, it makes sense that it'd get a lot of attention.
But Mercedes isn't just electrifying the new G. The internal combustion-powered SUV is getting a refresh, too, and today we can share all the details.
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class will still ride on a ladder frame, still have three locking differentials, still offer 9.5 inches of ground clearance, and can still successfully wade through 27.6 inches of water. In other words, it's every bit the off-road monster as the current version.
The advancements this year focus more on on-road performance, interior refinement and bringing interior technology up to the date with the rest of the Mercedes family (it’s multiple-generations-behind tech had been impossible to miss). To that end, the interior sees a substantial reboot, which starts before you even get inside. The G-Class finally gains proximity entry, though the doors still unlock with the G’s famously intense clunk. Once inside, you’ll see the 2025 G carries forward some styling cues from the previous version but with its widescreen display now running the latest MBUX infotainment software/UI with a control combination of touchscreen and redundant center console touchpad. Last year’s G still had old-school COMAND, which was solely controlled by the strange redundant combo of rotary knob and glossy touch pod contraption. The all-digital instrument panel has also been brought up to date, while a new Offroad Cockpit view takes advantage of the 360-degree camera system to provide an ”invisible hood” effect.
Other standard equipment additions include wireless phone charging, climate controlled cupholders and lane-centering steering assist for the adaptive cruise control system, while the options list gains a dual-screen rear entertainment system and Burmester sound system option with Dolby Atmos.
Although the big powertrain news will obviously be the all-electric version, the G 550 gets an all-new engine for 2025. Replacing the 4.0-liter V8 is a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six with a mild-hybrid system. Found elsewhere in the Mercedes lineup, the G’s version produces 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, representing an increase of 27 hp over the previous G 550 but a decrease of 37 fewer pound-feet.
