NAIAS 2018: All-new Mercedes G-Wagen retains iconic style

Earlier this January, photos of the all-new Mercedes-Benz G-Class have leaked ahead of its official debut at the currently on-going 2018 North American International Auto Show. Now, the manufacturer has officially pulled the covers off, giving us a better look of Mercedes-Benz's newest SUV.

At first, one could easily confuse the all-new model for its predecessor. The iconic style of the previous W463 G-Class body, which has been in production for nearly 40 years, has mostly been carried over to the all-new model. Instead of redesigning the body, Mercedes-Benz focused on updating the exterior with minor changes such as having smoother surfaces all throughout.

Beginning with the front, there are new headlights, a revised grill and restyled fender flares. The bumper has also been revised with redesigned lower air intakes. At the rear, there is also a new bumper together with sleeker LED taillights.

Though it may be hard to tell, the all new G-Class has also grown in size. It is now 53 mm longer and 121 mm wider, and 7.6 mm taller, giving it more presence both on- and off-road. Coupled with a 40.6 mm longer wheelbase, it translates to more interior space for both the driver and passengers. To be specific, the interior now has a total of 188 mm more legroom at both the front and rear seats compared to the previous model.

Mercedes-Benz already gave an early preview of the G-Class' interior late last year as part of a set of teaser photos. Stepping inside, the cabin has been updated and is now more luxurious. Situated infront of the driver is a new dashboard that appears similar to that of the other current Mercedes-Benz models with a dual 12.3-inch infotainment screen. While most of the materials have been updated, it still retains the familiarity of it's predecessor.

Despite having a more luxurious interior, the Mercedes-Benz says the G-Class is still a very capable off roader. There are still three independently locking differentials and a low range gear. It is then coupled with all-new suspension to give it both improved comfort on-road and handling off-road.

Underneath the hood is a 4.0-liter biturbo V8 engine from it's predecessor which now produces 422 PS and 610 Nm of torque. It is then mated to a new 9-speed automatic transmission which sends power to the wheels. Drivers may also choose different driving modes whether it be Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual settings. A 'G-Mode' setting automatically activates when the differential locks or low-range gear is selected.

With the new G-Class already revealed, expect to the more powerful AMG version to follow soon after.