“Mercedes replaced almost everything except the silhouette and — astonishingly — the three locking differentials. Far better on the road, still serious off it, and now available with four electric motors that can spin it like a tank.”
Where it came from, why it matters, and how it changed year to year.
On 14 January 2018, at the Detroit auto show, Mercedes revealed a G-Class that looked almost exactly like the old one and was almost entirely new. It was 121 mm wider, 53 mm longer and about 170 kg lighter, with a modern cabin and electric rack-and-pinion steering. The headline change was underneath: the solid front axle the G had used since 1979 gave way to independent double wishbones. The ladder frame, the low range and all three locking differentials stayed.
The new front suspension bolts straight to the ladder frame with no subframe, and its lower wishbone mounts sit as high as possible to protect clearance. Out back, a rigid axle is located by four links per side and a Panhard rod. Mercedes quoted 9.5 inches of clearance between the axles, 27.6 inches of wading depth (up almost 4 inches), 31° approach, 30° departure and 26° breakover angles — better on every count than the solid-axle G 550 it replaced.
Low range got shorter, too: 2.93:1 against the old truck’s roughly 2.1:1, engaged at up to 25 mph. Engage it, or any locker, and the truck drops into G-Mode, which retunes the dampers, steering and throttle and holds gears. Development included the Schöckl, the mountain test course outside Graz with gradients up to 60%. The US G 550 kept the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 — 416 hp and 450 lb-ft — now through a nine-speed automatic and a 40:60 torque split.
The G kept selling as if nothing had changed. Graz built the 400,000th G-Class on 4 December 2020 and the 500,000th in April 2023 — a one-off in agave green with amber indicators, a tribute to a famous 1979 photo of a W460 240 GD in mid-air. The AMG G 63 carried on alongside with 577 hp.
For the 2025 model year the US G 550 traded its V8 for a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six with mild-hybrid assistance: 443 hp and 413 lb-ft. Aero tweaks cut the drag coefficient from 0.55 to 0.48, the cabin got twin 12.3-inch MBUX screens, and the Offroad Cockpit added a “transparent bonnet” camera view. The off-road hardware didn’t move: triple lockers, 9.5 inches of clearance and 27.6 inches of wading.
Then came the one nobody expected to work. The G 580 with EQ Technology, revealed in April 2024, keeps the ladder frame, independent front and rigid rear axle, but drives each wheel with its own motor — 579 hp in total, fed by a 116 kWh battery with 200 kW DC charging. There are no mechanical lockers; torque vectoring provides ‘virtual’ ones. Each axle has a 2:1 low range, and it wades 33.5 inches — 5.9 more than the gas truck.
It also does tricks no Land Cruiser or Defender can: G-Turn spins the truck on the spot by driving the wheels on each side in opposite directions, and G-Steering pivots it around the inside rear wheel. The price is weight — more than three tonnes (Wikipedia quotes 3,085 kg) — and range: up to 294 miles on the European WLTP cycle, 239 miles on the EPA cycle. For 2025 the US got it only as the loaded Edition One.
In June 2022 Mercedes-AMG revived the 4×4² on the new truck: portal axles combined with independent front suspension, 585 hp from the twin-turbo V8, and 325/55R22 Pirelli tires. It went on sale for the 2023 model year at $350,050.
The numbers: 13.8 inches of ground clearance (4.3 more than a standard G), 35.8 inches of wading depth, and 41.3° approach and 36.8° departure angles. At 6,315 lb it weighs 379 lb less than the original G 500/G 550 4×4² — though it can’t match that truck’s 17.2 inches of clearance.
What changed, model year by model year. Sweet spot Beware
How it’s built, what it can do, and what fits under it.
The second-generation G keeps the old truck’s architecture where it matters off-road and modernizes everything else. The body still sits on a ladder frame, the rear axle is still rigid, and the transfer case still has a proper low range. The front, though, is now independent, the steering is electric rack-and-pinion instead of a recirculating-ball box, and the nine-speed automatic sends 40% of the torque forward and 60% rearward.
Engage low range or any differential lock and G-Mode switches on automatically, whatever drive program is selected. It adjusts damping, steering and throttle response and suppresses unnecessary upshifts; a small ‘G’ lights up in the instrument cluster. The off-road screen shows gradient, inclination, compass, steering angle and locker status.
| YEARS | PLATFORM | ENGINE | OUTPUT | WORTH KNOWING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–2024 | G 500 / G 550 (US) | M176 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 | 416 hp · 450 lb-ft | 9G-TRONIC; launched at Detroit, January 2018 |
| 2018– | AMG G 63 | AMG 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 | 577 hp · 627 lb-ft | Unveiled at Geneva, March 2018 |
| 2019– | G 350 d / G 400 d (not US) | OM656 2.9 L inline-six diesel | 282 hp / 326 hp | Diesel sold in other markets |
| 2022– | G 63 4×4² | AMG 4.0 L twin-turbo V8 | 585 hp | Portal axles with independent front; $350,050 |
| 2025– | G 550 (US) | 3.0 L turbo inline-six, mild hybrid | 443 hp · 413 lb-ft | Cd 0.48; transparent-bonnet camera view |
| 2025– | G 580 with EQ Technology | Four motors, 116 kWh battery | 579 hp | G-Turn, virtual lockers, 33.5 in wading |
| LIFT | BIGGEST TIRE | WHAT IT TAKES |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 in | 33 in | Eurowise rates its W463A kit for 33-inch tires without rubbing, depending on wheel offset, and says it has tested 33.5 in. Bigger tires can set off driver-assist warnings (active brake assist, blind-spot, cruise) |
Forum consensus, not a guarantee: wheel offset, tire brand and suspension wear all change clearance. Confirm before you buy.
Mercedes doesn't publish production by model, but it has announced some milestones and edition sizes.
What to pay, what to check, and how to tell a good one from a clone.
Early 2019 G 550s are now the cheapest way into the new G. AMG G 63s keep a clear premium, and the electric G 580 is losing value quickly.
Based on Bring a Trailer sales from January 2025 to October 2026: 13 G 550 and G 580 sales ($72,000–188,500) and 26 standard AMG G 63s (median $146,500). Mercedes-Benz USA's 2019 spec sheet lists the G 550 at $124,500 before destination. Prices move; checked October 2026. See live listings below.
Many G 550s are dressed up as G 63s, and the 2019-on trucks look a lot like the old ones. The VIN shows what you're looking at.
Open recalls follow the VIN, not the model. Run yours through NHTSA before you buy, and ask the seller for dealer records showing recall work.
Check a VIN at NHTSA ↗Baseline service, the repairs you’ll actually do, and where the manuals live.
The second-generation G is still young enough that many have only had dealer A/B services — which skip most driveline fluids. This list covers the 2019–2024 V8 trucks; the 2025-on inline-six G 550 and the electric G 580 have different service needs, so check their manuals.
FCP Euro lists its ≈10-litre M176 kit for the 2019–2024 G 550. Check that the oil carries MB 229.52 or 229.61. These figures are for the V8; check the manual for the 2025-on inline-six.
Mix 50/50 with distilled water.
On the 9G-TRONIC the filter is part of the pan. Ask for a shift-adaptation reset with XENTRY after the service.
Check the output-shaft seals for weeps — a known leak point.
Independent front, rigid rear, both locking. Engage low range and each lock on loose ground to confirm the ‘G’ icon and locker lights.
Instead, check the tie-rod ends and boots, and the front-axle wiring harness routing near the oil cooler (recall 23V097).
Regular grease keeps the heavy doors from sagging at the striker.
Run the VIN through NHTSA and ask the dealer to load the latest software and maps.
Load-test it, especially on a truck that has sat unused.
The jobs owners actually end up doing, rated for a competent home mechanic with a decent tool kit. Always confirm torque figures, fluids and procedures against the factory service manual for your VIN, and work safely — support the truck on stands, never just a jack. You do this work at your own risk; see the disclaimer. Some parts links are affiliate links.
We couldn’t verify a firm owner consensus for the 2019-on truck. What is documented: factory G 550 sizes are 275/55R19 and 275/50R20 (about 31 in), Mercedes offered 18-inch all-terrain tires as an option, and a 2.5-inch lift kit is rated for up to 33-inch tires. On earlier Gs, about 32 inches is the commonly cited no-rub ceiling — treat it as a starting point and test-fit at full lock. [TO VERIFY FOR 2019+]
SOURCE · TIRESIZE.COM · TFLTRUCK · EUROWISE · EXPEDITION PORTALYes — centre, rear and front, 100% locks, on every gas model. The electric G 580 drops mechanical lockers in favor of per-wheel torque vectoring.
SOURCE · THE SHOP · TFLCARIt’s still on a ladder frame — even the EV. The rear axle is rigid; the front is now independent double wishbones, the first time a G has had independent front suspension.
SOURCE · THE SHOP · TFLTRUCK2.93:1, versus about 2.1:1 on the previous G. It engages at up to 25 mph with the transmission in neutral, and you can shift back to high range at up to 43 mph.
SOURCE · THE SHOP9.5 inches between the axles (10.6 inches to the front axle), 27.6 inches of wading depth, and 31° / 30° / 26° approach, departure and breakover angles. The G 580 EV has 9.8 inches and wades 33.5 inches.
SOURCE · THE SHOP · SLASHGEAR · MOTOR AUTHORITYThe V8 G 550 is EPA-rated 14 mpg combined for 2019–2020; the mild-hybrid inline-six G 550 is rated 18 mpg combined for 2025–2026.
SOURCE · EPA VIA MPG BUDDYThe 2019–2024 G 550’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 makes 416 hp and 450 lb-ft; the 2025-on 3.0-litre mild-hybrid six makes 443 hp and 413 lb-ft and is rated about 4 mpg better combined. Same lockers, same clearance.
SOURCE · TFLCAR · EPAClimb 100% grades on suitable surfaces, wade 33.5 inches, crawl in three settings, and turn on the spot with G-Turn. It has a 2:1 low range in each axle’s transmission.
SOURCE · MOTOR AUTHORITY · TFLCARIt’s an enthusiast label for the 2018-on truck. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t use it officially.
SOURCE · WIKIPEDIARecall 23V097 covers 26,116 2019–2021 G 550s and AMG G 63s whose front-axle harness can chafe on the oil cooler and disable ABS/ESC. Check any VIN with NHTSA.
SOURCE · NHTSA VIA MOTORVERSONo. Locked diffs bind the driveline on high-grip surfaces. Use them on dirt, sand, snow or rock at low speed and unlock before tarmac.
SOURCE · BOXYTRUCKSWho makes the good stuff, where owners gather, and who to watch.