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After what feels like an eternity, we finally have a definitive idea of what the redesigned 2019 G-Class will look like, thanks to what appear to be leaked press images from German automotive website Autobahn. And while the G-Class is getting its first major redesign after decades of remaining almost entirely unchanged, it seems that Mercedes is still keeping the G-Class close to its roots while adding a dose of much-needed refinement to the aging platform.
The 2019 G-Class remains body-on-frame, but it now features independent front suspension in lieu of a live axle and will get a new nine-speed automatic transmission. The locking differentials also will remain. According to Car and Driver in a recent review of the G-Class prototype, the car has grown 2.1 inches longer and 2.5 inches wider to make more room for passengers. The car also has improved approach and breakover angles compared to the original, as well as more ride height. Perhaps more important to the G-Class’s current client base is a completely revised interior (first teased in December 2017).
But while it has ballooned in size and been refined more to modern tastes and needs, it’s heartening to see that the new generation of the G-Class doesn’t lose the off-road ability and boxy look and proportions of its predecessor. Redesigns of iconic models are often criticized by fans for losing the spirit of their forebears, but at least with the G-Class, we can rest easy knowing it’ll very likely be an evolution of what made the original such a classic.
