The current G-class will stay in production which is now in its 26th year. The G-class is hand-built at Magna Steyr's plant in Graz, Austria.
11-14-2005
On behalf of Mercedes-Benz, the company Magna Steyr has manufactured over 185,000 units of the legendary G-Class in Graz, Austria, since 1979. The car continues to be very popular among customers, and it has been part of the Mercedes product lineup for the past 26 years.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class 4MATIC, which Magna Steyr in Graz has also been building since 1996, will be manufactured instead at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Sindelfingen from early 2007. “By continuing to produce the G-Class in Graz and manufacturing all E-Class variants at our main plant in Sindelfingen from 2007, we have found a viable solution for both partner,” explains Dr. Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler Board of Management member and head of the Mercedes Car Group. “We are delighted that we can continue our successful and long-standing cooperation with Magna Steyr.”
With its rugged technology and outstanding off-road capabilities, the G-Class has set standards from the very start. And it is equipped with the industry’s most effective drive and driving safety systems, combining permanent all-wheel drive with the 4ETS electronic traction system and three differential locks that are activated when needed.
The vehicle’s striking shape, which has remained nearly unchanged over a period of almost three decades, has made the “G” a design classic with cult status. Together with its legendary ruggedness, the off-roader’s design has contributed most to its popularity. “Mercedes-Benz wrote automotive history by always ensuring that the G-Class remained state of-the-art over the past 26 years, and it will continue to offer its customers the very latest technology in the future,” says Zetsche.
Legendary G-Class Could Return to Australia
Mercedes-Benz this week announced it will continue to produce its “classic off roader” in the coming years, a move that could result in a limited number of G-Class models being imported into Australia for enthusiasts of the legendary vehicle.
“Whilst the legendary G-Class is currently not available in Australia, the decision to continue with this model could help our plans to import a limited-edition run of G55 AMG models next year,” said Horst von Sanden, managing director of the Mercedes Car Group in Australia.
(another article)
Spared the axe, Mercedes' G-Class to get face-lift next year
JENS MEINERS | Automotive News Europe
Posted Date: 12/7/05
MUNICH, Germany -- Not only has Mercedes-Benz saved its G-Class, but it also will give the premium SUV a face-lift next year, company sources say.
The G-Class had been expected to be discontinued next year and replaced with the GL-Class, a larger, more luxurious SUV that will be assembled at Mercedes' U.S. plant in Vance, Ala.
In a surprise announcement last month, Mercedes parent DaimlerChrysler AG said the current G-Class will continue to be built at Magna Steyr's plant in Graz, Austria.
DaimlerChrysler's statement did not say how long the car will be produced, but a company source said it would be made "for the next five years and maybe beyond."
Next year the vehicle will receive an interior makeover plus new, more powerful engines.
The interior upgrade will be done to provide the SUV with the most recent infotainment devices and address criticism about the overall look and feel of the vehicle's inside.
The instrument panel "uses the design language of the 1990s," said Arne Behlmer, analyst at CSM Worldwide in Frankfurt. "The shape and materials (inside the G-Class) do not reflect the steep price tag of the G-Class."
The 2005 G500 is $81,675, while the AMG G55 version is priced at $105,275. Both prices include shipping.
The G-Class also will get Mercedes' new V-6 and V-8 turbodiesels, plus the carmaker's improved V-6 and V-8 gasoline engines. The V-8 gasoline engine will provide 388 hp, up from 306 hp in the current model.
The boxy G-Class originally was developed for military use, but it has achieved cult status among off-road enthusiasts.
Its German name is Gelaendewagen, which means all-terrain vehicle.
Mercedes' decision to continue G-Class production compensates Magna Steyr for the loss of production of the four-wheel-drive version of the Mercedes E class. Mercedes decided to start building that version of the E class at its plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, starting in early 2007.
Magna Steyr has produced more than 185,000 units of the G-Class since 1979.
Through nine months of this year, the contract coachbuilder has made 4,340 G-Class units, down 13.2 percent from the year before.