Rumors about a full-size electric G-Class have been circulating for some time, but it’s official now. The G-Wagon is going electric, in the form of the new fully electric “Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology.” Yep, the name is a mouthful — taking the name from the concept version of this car, the Concept EQG, might have been a better move. Bu, regardless, the vehicle is sure to appeal to those who want a G-Wagon while getting all the benefits of an EV.
Curious about the G580 with EQ Technology? Here’s everything you need to know.
Design
The G580 retains many of the design aspects of the G-Class you already know and love, and while the concept iteration had some modern touches, like light bars on the exterior of the car, the real-world version looks pretty similar to the non-electric G-Wagon, though that’s not to say there aren’t any design changes whatsoever.
Thankfully, the new vehicle retains its boxy design, which should appeal to longtime fans of the G-Wagon. Sure, it’s not the most aerodynamic design — and that’s sure to impact range. But there are other vehicles out there for those who want to eek the most range they can get out of their EV.
Compared to previous iterations of the G-Wagon, the car has a slightly raised hood and a grille with only a few horizontal openings for air intake. And on the back, there’s the silver “EQ” badge meant to denote that this is an EV.
Interior and tech
While the exterior of the vehicle is mostly the same as previous G-Wagons, the interior is quite different. There are still rugged aspects, like larger handles and sporty-looking seats, but the vehicle is built for comfort too. It has leather upholstery throughout and a leather-covered steering wheel.
Perhaps the most obvious shift is in the lighting — there’s tons of accent lighting throughout the interior of the vehicle. It helps give the car a more modern, luxurious look. And there are displays dotted around the car too. There’s a 12.3-inch infotainment display, coupled with a large instrument display. In terms of options, there are also infotainment screens for the rear passengers.
There’s plenty of tech too. The car offers the MBUX augmented reality navigation to superimpose directions on a camera image, and there’s an option for the Burmester 3D surround sound system that supports Dolby Atmos. The car also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Performance
As you would expect from a G-Wagon, the G580 offers plenty of off-roading features. You’ll get all the power you need to tackle big hills, and unique to the G580 is the ability to use a G-steering function that lets the car rotate around its own axis. Lastly, the vehicle supports virtual differential locking, allowing power to be routed to the individual wheels that need it for improved traction in off-road scenarios.
The G580 is a quad-motor vehicle — with one motor on each wheel. With these four motors, the vehicle is capable of a total of 579 horsepower and 859 lb-ft of torque. It’s pretty quick too — it’ll get from 0 to 60 mph in only 4.6 seconds.
Range and charging
Range isn’t necessarily where the G580 shines. The battery sits in at 116 kilowatt-hours, which will deliver up to 240 miles of range. That’s a little lower than we would have liked, and we’re hoping manufacturers will push range a little further as time goes on.
The G580 can charge at up to 200 kilowatts on a DC fast charger, which isn’t bad — though not quite as good as some other vehicles, which support up to 350kW. Mercedes-Benz says this charging speed will get the vehicle from 10% to 80% in a little over 30 minutes. The first batch of vehicles will come with a North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter, however later on, it’ll have NACS built in.
Pricing and availability
Unfortunately, there are a few things we still don’t know about the G580 — and pricing is one of those things.
It will probably be expensive though — the vehicle is said to have a starting price between $150,000 and $200,000. The car isn’t available in the U.S. yet, but it’s expected to go on sale in the second half of 2024.
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