Mercedes-Benz G580 first drive: old-school off-roader goes electric

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Electric Cars,Mercedes Benz,Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz made its iconic G-Wagen into an EV without compromising the SUV's vaunted off-road capable and inimitable style.

American car buyers mostly know Mercedes-Benz as a luxury brand. But for decades, the automaker has also produced the tough, rugged G-Class , an SUV not afraid to get its leather upholstery muddy. And now, this iconic Mercedes is going electric.

Related Design Mercedes took some styling risks with its EQS and EQE models, but it went in the opposite direction with the electric G-Class. You won’t find a dedicated EV platform here; Mercedes instead adapted EV powertrain components to fit within the G-Wagen’s old-school ladder frame. A 116-kilowatt-hour battery pack uses the same cells as Mercedes’ other electric models, for example, but they’re stacked in two layers to fit between the frame rails.

Tech The G580 comes standard with a version of the Mercedes-Benz User Experience infotainment system used in the automaker’s other vehicles. In this case, it’s teamed with dual 12.3-inch displays, one serving as the instrument cluster and one serving as the main touchscreen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a Burmester 3D surround sound system with Dolby Atmos are standard, while a dashcam and rear-seat entertainment system with dual 11.6-inch screens are optional.

Driving experience The G580 has a quad-motor powertrain with two motors per each axle developing a combined 579 horsepower and 859 pound-feet of torque. Mercedes quotes zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, while the top speed is electronically limited to 112 mph. The G580 can be driven just like a conventional G-Class as a result, but Mercedes also threw in some EV-only gimmicks. G-Turn allows the G580 to spin around in a circle on loose surfaces, similar to Rivian’s discarded Tank Turn feature. With the car in its Rock drive mode with low range selected and the brakes on, you depress the brake pedal, pull a steering wheel paddle , hold the steering wheel, and hit the accelerator. The G580 will then do two complete turns automatically.

When it is time to recharge, 200-kilowatt DC fast charging should allow the G580 to complete a 10% to 80% charge in 32 minutes, according to Mercedes, which is well within the accepted range. For home charging, an 11.5-kilowatt AC onboard charger takes 13.5 hours to complete a full charge. Mercedes is in the process of adopting the Tesla North American Charging Standard connector, but the G580 will launch with the current Combined Charging Standard connector.

 

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