To debut its latest G Class, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia opted to do so at the outdoor courtyard of The Exchange TRX, in a specially constructed pavilion. Just next to this was a scaffolding consisting of an alarmingly steep ramp about two storeys high—just the thing to demonstrate the impressive climbing and descending ability of the latest Geländewagen, renowned for decades for its no-nonsense approach to all-terrain ability. But now we have something that is a paradigm shift. Its full name is the Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology (RM958,888)—that’s right, full electrification has come to the G Class.
And it does so in an intriguing way. Your average electric vehicle has up to two motors—one to drive each axle. The G 580 has four, one for each wheel, driving it via a short half-shaft with up to 145bhp each. Each has its own transmission as well, with low range gearing. The total combined output is thus 580bhp and a torque of 1,164Nm. The G Class was never a sprinter, but the 580 will still do 0-100km/h in a considerable 4.7 seconds. The 116kWh battery is capable of a rather middling rated range of 473km—the G Class was never a paragon of aerodynamic efficiency, in any case. It is also not exactly light, tipping the scales at more than 3,000kg.
The quad motors allow some clever things to happen. There is no need for a traditional differential here—instead, torque vectoring is the order of the day, responding within fractions of a second to deliver the correct amount of power to each wheel for any given situation. This means better stability and accuracy during cornering, and no need to manually engage differential locks when going off-road—the vehicle can respond automatically. Off-road capability remains paramount: the traditional ladder frame of the G Class has been tweaked and reinforced for the electric generation, and is outfitted with a 26mm underbody panel to protect the battery. The ground clearance is 250mm, with a maximum fording depth of 850mm. The 360-degree cameras can field a ‘transparent bonnet’ function, allowing drivers to see underneath the front of the vehicle. The intelligent off-road crawl function lets the driver set a target speed over rough terrain, freeing them to focus on steering and obstacle awareness.
It is not all business, of course—this is a Mercedes-Benz, after all. The interior boasts of all the usual luxuries, such as contoured nappa leather seats with massage functions, the MBUX operating system and a comprehensive driver assistance system, and a Burmester surround sound system. One can even opt for temperature-controlled cup holders.
But really, the G 580 is going to be remembered for its greatest party trick. Four independently driven and precisely controlled wheels are a new outlet for engineering creativity. Sometimes it can be interesting but practical, as is the case for the ‘G-STEERING’ function, which can effectively lock one wheel during a turn, allowing the entire vehicle to pivot around it—the result is a much tighter turning radius. Sometimes, it is utterly ridiculous, as is the case of ‘G-TURN’. This function drives the left and right wheels in opposite directions—the vehicle will thus spin on the spot, up to two complete revolutions. Mercedes-Benz claims that it is meant to be used to extricate the vehicle from tight off-road situations. But it is far more likely to be used when one is too lazy to reverse out of a driveway, or simply to show off to friends. There is no denying the tyre-squealing fun of it, though the brand is quick to point out that it should not be used on public roads.
The G 580 with EQ Technology is also available as the limited EDITION ONE variant (RM998,888), which is available in one of three special colour combinations for both exterior and interior.
*Global model shown
