Yahoo Autos Mercedes G-Class Gets Independent Front Suspension
Despite entering production in 1979, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen is more popular than ever. Mercedes first tried to replace it with the M-Class the late 1990s, and again in the mid-2000s with the GL-Class, but customers flocked to the G - especially in the US, where Mercedes finally began importing the stodgy old truck in 2002. For 2018, the G-Wagen gets a significant update that sees the truck growing four inches wider and, for the first time, offering independent front suspension.
That's per Automotive News, which spoke with Mercedes G-Wagen head Gunnar Guethenke about the upcoming model. While larger dimensions and a modernized chassis mark the major changes, Guethenke promises that the 2018 G-Wagen will maintain much of the charm and uniqueness of the old model, retaining its body-on-frame construction, low-range gearbox, and three locking differentials.
"Those three are the cornerstones that differentiate the [G-Wagen] from other off-roaders and that ensure both durability and off-road capability," Guethenke told Automotive News.
Spy video from Nurburgring YouTuber Automotive Mike shows the 2018 G-Wagen in motion. The difference in size between the old and new G-Wagen is most apparent from the rear:
Automotive News also reports that the G-Wagen will get a new turbocharged six-cylinder engine for 2018. We suspect the two most likely candidates are the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 found throughout the Mercedes-Benz range, or the automaker's upcoming inline-six. The exhaust note of the car seen in the above video seems to indicate that a V8 will remain an option for the G - and surely, powerful AMG versions will remain in the lineup too.
The extra width and independent front suspension will increase comfort, but it sounds like the G-Wagen isn't changing radically. That's smart, because customers clearly love the G's old-school character.
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