The 500,000th unit of the iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class has just rolled off the production line in Graz, Austria on April 20. Initially introduced in 1979, the G-Class is now one of Mercedes-Benz’s longest-running production vehicles.
Lucky number 500,000 harks back to the classic G-class with a vintage-inspired look, featuring many design features based on the 280 GE from 1986. These include the ‘agave green’ hue on the outside, which is one of the first paint colours available for the G-Class, the iconic round headlamps but with LED technology, turn signals with the retro orange cover, spare wheel cover with a larger-than-usual Mercedes-Benz star, brand badge on the rear door, as well as the five-spoke sterling silver wheel.
The classic G-Class design continues on the inside, with iconic design touches including the passenger-side door handle with agave green ‘No. 500,000’ lettering, ‘Schöckl’ door sill trim, and logo embossing on the door handle. Despite the retro looks, the 500,000th G-Class still shows itself as a modern car underneath with its modern driver assistance systems.
Mercedes-Benz G Chairman and CEO and Mercedes-Benz AG Head of Off-Road Vehicle Product Division, Dr Emmerich Schiller said, “On the occasion of the 500,000th anniversary, we would like to thank both our loyal customers and long-time fans as well as our employees and our production partner Magna Steyr in Graz. We are proud of this figure, which also underscores the exclusivity of the G-Class.”
Schiller added, “After all, four whole decades have led to this significant anniversary. This makes the G-Class anything but a mass product. With the all-electric G-Class launching in 2024, which will push the boundaries of the off-road sector, we look forward with anticipation to the future of the off-road icon.”
RELATED: Watch the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQG do a stationary tank turn
And yes, just as mentioned by Schiller, Mercedes-Benz will be making an all-electric G-class for the off-road icon’s upcoming 45th production anniversary in 2024. ICE fans of the off-roader do not need to panic either as the German automotive giant ensured that the combustion engine models will be rolling off the production line alongside as well.
Mercedes-Benz also added that the new product’s design will continue to remain true to itself, with the motto ‘technical development with unchanged character’. Here in Malaysia, the fully imported Mercedes-Benz G 63 is available for RM1,788,888 on the road, without insurance.
RELATED: 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC launched in Malaysia, RM430k – single variant, MHEV
