MB UK have just released the following Press Information
Iconic G-Class makes eagerly-anticipated return to UK Roads
After ten years away from Mercedes-Benz’s biggest right hand drive market, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class is set to return to UK roads in the Autumn, with a choice of diesel or supercharged petrol engines. This go anywhere, do anything icon celebrated its 30th birthday last year and still retains it robust classic design twinned with the very latest Mercedes-Benz technology – and peerless off-road credentials.
It is the unique timeless look and distinctive design which sets the G-Class apart from the crowd, and it has created a strong following of motorists looking for a luxury and very exclusive SUV. The virtually limitless off-road capability of the G-Class and its practicality as an everyday vehicle have also helped the vehicle to achieve sales of over 200,000 units worldwide since 1979.
Dermot Kelly, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars said: “Despite G-Class being the longest-serving passenger car series in the history of Mercedes-Benz, we are delighted to welcome it as a ‘new model’ in right hand drive for UK customers. The long wheelbase version in particular blends style, technology, practicality, impeccable build quality and unbeatable off-road credentials in a shape that is as seductive today as it was when originally launchedâ€Â.
Customers will be able to choose between the G350 CDI which produces 221 hp and returns 25.7 mpg, and the range topping G55 AMG KOMPRESSOR, which produces 500 hp and reaches 0-62 mph in 5.5 seconds.
Both the G350 CDI and the G55 AMG will feature a wealth of standard equipment including: Automatic climate control; automatic transmission, with high and low gear ratios; Bi-Xenon headlamps, heated seats with memory, leather upholstery (including the dashboard) as well as COMAND, a reverse parking aid and a Harman Kardon Logic 7 Sound system.
As well as the standard equipment that features on many Mercedes-Benz road cars, constant innovation in the G-Class range offers high-performance driving dynamics, but, also supreme off road ability. ESP and 4ETS both ensure maximum traction, handling and stability on any terrain and the 100 per cent locking differentials, permanent all-wheel drive and low off-road ratios prove their worth off the beaten track, making the G-Class world class in any off-road conditions.
There will also be a commercial G300 CDI Professional, ideal for tough working conditions in hard-to-reach locations. It will feature equipment levels ideal for it to carry out its labours in a reliable, safe, go-anywhere package. This entry model to the G-Class range will be available from £57,975 OTR. The G350 CDI will be available from £79,975 and the G55 AMG KOMPRESSOR will cost £114,975 OTR.
The G-Class is one of a small and elite band of high quality products that has resisted the influences of fleeting stylistic trends, and as such has become a trendsetter itself. The low volume G-Class is hand built in Graz and in 1983 won the gruelling Paris-Dakar rally reinforcing that it is not only a design icon, but also boasts true go anywhere capabilities which are still winning new admirers today.
Whether traversing tough terrain or cruising down the King’s Road, the new G-Class is set to become one of the UK’s most desirable luxury vehicles later this year.
The G350 CDI and G55 AMG KOMPRESSOR will be exclusively available from the Specialist Products Division at Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands as will the G300 CDI Professional.
ENDS
Well, the usual manufacturer's bullshit I see. Only MB could consider an OTR price of £57,975 as being appropriate for an "entry model" and it's a pity they had to go all the way back to 1983 to find a Paris Dakar win to boost their credibility. One wonders when will they realise they don't need to do that; the thing is invincible. End of story!
comedy prices :cry: We should open a book on how many entry models will sell :?: My best guess is less than 10.
comedy prices :cry: We should open a book on how many entry models will sell :?: My best guess is less than 10.
Agreed; hysterical prices! Nevertheless, I welcome the first official confirmation that they will bring in the G300 Professional. I read somewhere on the web that there will likely be a new [four cylinder] diesel engine in the Professional at the end of this year.
I don't really know how you work out whether it is good value or not.
G Wagens have always been expensive in comparison to other 4x4s but I think what you get is a superior product.
In 1993 the retail price for my 300GEL from a UK dealer was £41,000.
The 2010 entry level price for RHD is £58,000 an increase of 30% over 17 years.
If you compare this 30% increase with other manufacturers over a similar 17 year period the average increase appears to be around 50% or more.
This is a very loose study and probably not very accurate but it does put the percieved expense of a new G in some kind of context.
Feel free to mock me and generaly take the p*ss :)
"Feel free to mock me and generaly take the p*ss " :lol:
you are correct that g-wagens have always been expensive. AND as a consequence have simply not sold, which I would guess means the market as a whole is not impressed with the price. I suspect what has motivated this is the mistaken believe that the popularity surge for the thing which we have experienced over the last 5 years will be sustained. I doubt this but do hope that I am wrong as it will prop up the value of my car. :?:
"Feel free to mock me and generaly take the p*ss " :lol:
you are correct that g-wagens have always been expensive. AND as a consequence have simply not sold, which I would guess means the market as a whole is not impressed with the price.
Ahem. They have NOT sold in the UK, but they have sold very well in most other places.
Don't worry. As long as Americans buy them, it will sell well over here. It's like checkered golf trousers in the 80s :lol:
"Ahem. They have NOT sold in the UK, but they have sold very well in most other places." quote
so the sensible thing to do is to buy LHD because you know these will retain their value and can be sold on throughout Europe. :wink:
Hmmmm Interesting, nice to see the G back in RHD, but at those prices methinks it will be very short lived. As a fashion item fro the rich and famous (who have not previously owned a G) it will be something to show, off. But like last years Channel Suit, will soon end up on the Finchley Road charity shops.
I think the derision they will receive from the general press on the prices will be interesting, but unless you know the G and will write it off over the next 10 or so years, it gonna be tough.
But Hay, gotta respect their balls to launch it in a recession!
Spider1V
Personally, I'm not the biggest pessimist on the pricing IF they sell it properly, i.e. they say that this is an expensive vehicle to buy but it will outlast all the others out there if taken care of, won't break down with little constant niggles and will resell at a decent price even 5 years down the line. Speak to ANY farmer who used to own one in the '80s: they absolutely love them. The Japanese have gone a little too upmarket and frankly one doesn't want to bend them or chuck the wet dogs in the back......and they don't tow very well (at least I've found this a personal bugbear of mine with our once-upon-a-time landcruiser). Even our very own farmers are getting sick and tired of the unreliability of the Land Rover.....and these vehicles haven't really moved on with the times (the seating position is STILL the same that it was 50 years ago and it STILL leaks): yes it may be cheap, but you get what you pay for. If MB take the stance to approach farmers (and independent business owners alike - or companies that take a 5-year horizon on vehicle investments), they might be backing a winner.....providing they give a decent guarantee AND can back it up with a service network (the latter being probably the biggest ask given the sad state of it at present, especially for rural communities). Am I out of whack myself? What do you think? ph
Obviously my post only covers the professional.........
Why were g wagens less successful back then, because of the price difference, it will be the same today!, who looks at longevity these days! People with money buy every three years, but hey I may be wrong
peter. can't read the pointed star post but i don't think that the £57k price tag is for the professional. i think its for the G350.......does anyone know what the professional is being priced at? ph
No NO it's for the professional.
I got an offer from MB for a bog standard kastenwagen 300cdi
and it was about 61.000€
By the way, since they introduced the PUR (which is basicly the same vehicle as the professional) more than a year ago, they have sold two in belgium.
In germany there was a lot of speculation when the PUR was anounced, now there are more then 40 brandnew trucks on mobile.de that are having difficulty to get sold. One dealer offered me a brand new 280cdi PUR in desert sand color for 40.000€ plus VAT. (that's more like it about 35.000£)
G
I've re-read the article. Wow, that is a shocking price tag. I was expecting something in the low 40s (which is still a lot more than the tarted up LR). MB is obviously too used to selling to the military! I have to alter my comments from before: Peter, you're right that is too much money. I'm confident that they'll come to their senses......maybe next year. Or, like easydeluxe said, just go an buy a year-old-Euro 40k-PUR instead.ph
From what I've seen, this is a very incomplete conversion [of the G Professional] to RHD. The left-sided handbrake lever will likely be troublesome ergonomically. Also, I'm not convinced of the wisdom of dual 12/24V systems, with three batteries and two alternators; whatever happened to the keep it simple principle?
The G Professional is overly expensive for a flawed product. I only hope that with a possible engine change later in the year, they take the opportunity to streamline the specification. Also, the G Professional likely needs to be sold through outlets that offer the Unimog. Where might you go to buy a new Unimog in the UK?
I don't understand there logic with 3 batterys either, I have a landcruiser with twin batterys, it is 12v but has 24v starter, only has two batterys and one alternator, the japs can do it why can't merc!. A basic pur in longwheel base should be no more than £32k, and thats pushing it, wether it's hand made or not. 60k for a professionl is laughable,and if they sell 10 in the uk I'll eat my landcruiser .
A. C. Price :lol: (et al), for a Unimog.
The battery system is like that because it's basically a military vehicle they sell to the public.
The car starts on 12 volts, and there are two more 12v batteries to power all the military spec equipment that's 24 volts.
For civilian use this is useless.
My buddy bought a pur and discovered that there is no plug to even fit the 24volt outlet!
have to agree with peter: the landcruiser battery/starter/alternator/12V-24V set up is the best around. they took it straight out of the toyota truck/bus line-up. i think what mbs mistake might have been was to get a bunch of car guys in to develop the new g: they should have kept it commercial - at least for the professional. i don't understand the reason for two alternators: this isn't even a military set up as far as i'm aware. i will definitely wait to see how things go............
The battery system is like that because it's basically a military vehicle they sell to the public.
The car starts on 12 volts, and there are two more 12v batteries to power all the military spec equipment that's 24 volts.
For civilian use this is useless.
My buddy bought a pur and discovered that there is no plug to even fit the 24volt outlet!
all I can say is your friend must have money to burn! Is he a little dissapointed now do you think?
The car starts on 12 volts
No, the starter motor is 24V.
I think they represent fantastic value for money, 30 years of thorough engineering rolled into one fantastically rugged vehicle, thats got to be a bargain at just under 70 000.
Well, thats what i'm telling everyone at least. How else are there going to be any used ones available in a few years time if no one buys a new one. :D :wink:
My buddy bought a pur and discovered that there is no plug to even fit the 24volt outlet!
The plug is likely to be by Amphenol. I got some for the Pinzgauer some time back that are two pin screw rather than the two pin bayonet in the G Professional. See http://www.amphenol.co.uk/Index.htm
Suggest to your friend that he look up the numbers on the socket and search from there.
Way overpriced IMO, esp the G350.
Thought the G55 would be into six figures, was expecting the G350 to be a bit above the Rangey/GL by a few quid i.e. around £60k max, but at £80k that is quite a price tag... :(
OK This may turn nasty but......
After say 5 years, what do you think the deprecation maybe on;
Range Rover?
GL?
G Wagen?
Yes I think the G price tag is high, but from memory they have always been high and when you consider the slow deprecation, maybe, if one looks at the long term, its not that bad?
I have been looking at ordering a G500, not that much cheaper than a G55, the dilemma is; Speed, noise (i am hooked) of the G55 V's Petrol consumption and off road capabilities of the G500.
Spider1V
Re. depreciation - fair point based on the current supply of vehicles, obviously there haven't been many registered in the UK in recent years so used values remain strong thanks to enthusiasts chasing what's available BUT that may well change if Merc have 1000 of these registered over the next 5 years, supply vs demand and all that.
Food for thought :P
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/251257/mercedes_gclass_amg_returns.html
Author of AutoExpress's article on the new G has introduced a novel concept. Apparently there are, ".....low-range ratios in the automatic box."
Really?
Do you know, I think MBUK may have dropped a "spherical object" here! Presumably, the RHD models have only been made available again because the Australian military order made it cost effective once more to build the various specialist parts, in particular steering boxes. Hmmmm! Well, I'm delighted to see them back, but dismayed that they have aimed at the top end of the market.
When Automotive Technik - now defunct - were bringing the G in as a SteyrPuch model, we were generating growing interest amongst the professional users in the G290 Turbo Super G. They were looking for long term reliability and low whole life costs. Then MBUK took it back off us when the decision was taken to market the G only as a Mercedes product... and never did a thing with it.
The trouble with superb specialist vehicles like the G-Wagen and the Pinzgauer is that they are impossible to manufacture at a realistic cost because they are essentially hand build and produced in relatively small numbers with numerous non-standard parts. No economy of scale. Hence Pinzgauer has effectively gone and the G's days are undoubtedly numbered when the military sales fall off.
These days, all front line military vehicles have to be armoured, so light 4x4s are out of the equation. They can't cope and are ineffective. Their former role as light off-road transport and equipment carriers can be better performed by cheaper adapted pick-ups, like the Ford Ranger, Toyota Hi-Lux, Mitsubishi L200 etc. etc.
The times, they are a changing! Now, an all electric G-Wagen.....may be there is a future ..... :)
I'd love to buy another G but as I've said previously 291g (on the diesel) makes it totally impractical as something we could use on and off farm, and at that kind of price would you really want to use it as a farm vehicle? Kind of defeats the object.
In 1993 the retail price for my 300GEL from a UK dealer was £41,000.
The 2010 entry level price for RHD is £58,000 an increase of 30% over 17 years.
Considering your G is probably still worth about 20% of it's original value 17 years later that aint bad. A 93 RR could probably be picked up for less than 5% of its new price now.
So, looking at the long term a new G at £80k might not be a bad investment if in 15 years time it's still worth £16k (loss of £64k). RR's start at £66k which in 15 years will be more like £3k I expect (loss of £63k) and it's bound to go wrong more times along the way.
I agree that not many people are going to buy a brand new G and keep it for 15 years though, but that's partly how they retain their value, by being scarce.
Very hard to justify £58k on a Professional when a Defender High Cap, double cab, pick-up starts at £30k less though.
So we have £ list prices now for G-wagens. Difficult one to answer perhaps, but does anyone have a feel for whether and how much discount off list price might be on offer for purchase of a new G?
There is no discount, we have already asked the question!
JOIN THE GWOA
This website and forum are provided for the benefit of enthusiasts and owners of all Mercedes Benz off road vehicles, in particular the G Wagen. The costs of development, upkeep and provision of the site are met entirely by the annual subscriptions of club members. If you are using the site and are not a member of the G Wagen Owners Association please consider joining. You will have access to areas on the site that are not open to non members, to club trips and meetings and to technical assistance. In addition your contribution (only £25 annually) will help us maintain and develop our website for future users.
Who's new
- Jaffa_JIM_23
- Wrabstar
- GG
- KTMSCANIA22
- 280ge
Conversely, the new very expensive vehicles may raise interest in the older models which look pretty much the same to the layman anyway - or can be made to - so prices may creep up. I live in hope; ever the optimist. :lol: