Contrary to popular belief, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class (G-Wagon) was never meant to be the luxury object we see today, over four decades after its original release.
It began as a tool, designed in the early 1970s when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran and at the time one of Mercedes-Benz’s largest shareholders, suggested Mercedes build a capable, rugged vehicle that could serve both military and civilian purposes. It had one requirement: Survive anything thrown at it. Mercedes-Benz went to work with Austrian manufacturer Steyr-Daimler-Puch to build something square, simple and brutally effective, a vehicle that could climb and crawl without any sign of struggle.
When it entered production in 1979 as the Geländewagen, it looked agricultural because that’s essentially what it was. It comprised of flat panels, exposed hinges, upright glass and not a single decorative component.
Credit: Mercedes-Benz
80s and 90s, Functionality Over Luxury
Early civilian models didn’t do their part in softening the experience. Interiors were kept sparse, engines were modest, and comfort was not part of the pitch. This was a vehicle for armies, farmers, border patrols and anyone who needed to reach places roads did not exist. Permanent four-wheel drive, three locking differentials and a ladder frame made it almost overbuilt for civilian life, which is exactly why it earned a reputation for indestructibility. For many years, the G-Class would not evolve because it simply did not need to.
Through the 1980s and into the 1990s, the G stayed visually frozen. Mercedes updated engines, added power steering, improved brakes and safety, but the shape barely changed. It remained upright while the world moved toward softer SUVs. That stubbornness became part of its appeal. You could spot a G-Wagen instantly, whether it was parked outside a farm shed or a European embassy.
By the mid-1990s, Mercedes recognised something else. Buyers were no longer choosing the G-Wagon purely for utility, instead, they liked what it represented. This forced a shift over time for the cabin to change, moving to better leather, wood trim, automatic gearboxes and sound systems fit for the 90s era musos. The G500 arrived with a V8 and suddenly this square military truck could move as swiftly as some sports cars it shared the road with.
Credit: Mercedes-Benz
Credit: Mercedes-Benz
Early 2000s, Development Moves Forward
The major change came in the 2000s when AMG acquired a majority stake in the company. The G55 AMG turned the G-Class into a tall, narrow off-roader with a supercharged V8. It was a release that surprisingly worked well given the ground work Mercedes-Benz had put in to find their target market.
As luxury SUVs flooded the market, the G-Class went the opposite direction, leaning into excess. The doors still shut with a mechanical clack, the driving position stayed upright, visibility remained excellent, and you sat in it rather than sank into it. Even as screens grew larger and materials improved, the bones stayed the same.
In 2018, Mercedes finally did what it had held off for years. It redesigned the G-Class from the ground up, changing everything except how it looked. The proportions remained familiar, but underneath the metal there was a wider track, modern suspension and safety tech was integrated.
Credit: Mercedes-Benz
Today’s G-Class sits in a comfortable place as an all-in-one package. It’s a status symbol, design icon, luxury object and off-road machine. You’ll see it from fashion houses to remote trails and either way, it looks like it should be there.
Electric versions are on the way and inevitably the experience will change again, but it’s likely we won’t be seeing a change in the visual design of the car.
Similar to Porsche and their beloved 911, Mercedes-Benz have found a design they’re going to stick to for potentially another 40 years of the vehicle’s evolution.