Mercedes-Benz G 580 dengan Teknologi EQ mewakili lonjakan ketara ke hadapan untuk G-Wagon yang ikonik, memperkenalkan pendorongan elektrik kepada kenderaan luar jalan yang legenda ini sambil mengekalkan ketegaran dan reka bentuk yang jelas.
Dengan empat motor bersepadunya yang memberikan 879hp dan 1164Nm tork yang mengagumkan, G 580 menawarkan prestasi luar jalan yang menggerunkan, dibantu oleh ciri-ciri inovatif seperti pacuan roda individu dan virtual differential lock. Kemajuan ini, digabungkan dengan mod G-Turn dan bantuan G-Steering, memastikan keupayaan yang tiada tandingannya dalam rupa bumi yang mencabar.
G 580 boleh pecut dari 0-100km/j dalam masa 4.7 saat. Walaupun jarak pemanduannya mungkin agak terhad berbanding dengan kenderaan tradisional, dengan anggaran 473km pada kitaran ujian WLTP, kehebatan off-road G 580 dan kemudahan mewah lebih daripada mengimbangi sebarang kebimbangan rangkaian.
Di dalam, G 580 menawarkan kabin yang mewah dan berteknologi moden, dengan sistem infotainmen MBUX, Paparan media 12.3-inci dengan kawalan sentuh sebagain standard, jalur cahaya pilihan disepadukan ke dalam gril, dan pelbagai ruang simpanan yang meningkatkan pengalaman pemanduan keseluruhan. Perisian penyesuaian bagi paparan dan konsep pengendalian memastikan pengalaman pengguna yang diperibadikan, manakala penyepaduan telefon pintar melalui Android Auto atau Apple CarPlay membolehkan sambungan lancar semasa dalam perjalanan.
Dengan peningkatan aerodinamik yang menyumbang kepada kecekapan yang lebih baik dan sistem perlindungan bateri yang teguh memastikan ketahanan di kawasan lasak, G 580 dengan Teknologi EQ menetapkan standard baharu untuk SUV elektrik. Walaupun butiran harga masih belum didedahkan, jelas bahawa Mercedes-Benz telah mencipta kenderaan yang menggabungkan prestasi, keupayaan dan kemewahan dalam fesyen G-Wagon sebenar, membezakannya sebagai peneraju dalam pasaran SUV elektrik.
Mercedes-Benz G-Class baharu mengekalkan semangat kenderaan off-road yang teguh asal dari 1979. Tetapi ia telah dinaik taraf dengan teknologi dan ciri baharu untuk kekal moden. Ia membuka jalan untuk versi elektrik yang dipanggil EQG, yang akan datang lewat tahun ini.
Walaupun ia masih kelihatan berkotak dan lasak, G-Class baharu mempunyai beberapa perubahan moden. Model asas G550 mempunyai enjin 3.0 liter pengecas turbo baharu dengan sedikit rangsangan elektrik, menjadikannya lebih cekap. Ia masih mempunyai kuasa dengan 443hp dan tork 560Nm. Ia bagus untuk off-road, dibantu oleh pacuan semua roda dan lock khas pada roda.
Di dalamnya, terdapat ciri baharu yang dipanggil Kokpit Off-Road yang menunjukkan maklumat luar jalan yang penting pada skrin sentuh besar. Satu lagi ciri hebat ialah “Transparent Hood,” yang membolehkan anda melihat halangan di sekeliling kereta menggunakan kamera.
Untuk keselamatan, G550 dilengkapi dengan kawalan pelayaran adaptif, blind-spot monitoring, dan traffic sign recognition. Dan jika anda meminati kelajuan, terdapat model G63 dengan enjin V-8 yang boleh pecut dari 0 hingga 100km/j dalam masa 4.2 saat sahaja.
Kedua-dua model G550 dan G63 mendapat beberapa kemas kini kecil untuk 2025, seperti pilihan cat baharu dan lampu hadapan yang lebih baik. Anda juga boleh menambah ciri seperti suspension yang dipertingkatkan untuk prestasi yang lebih baik di dalam dan di luar jalan.
Mercedes-Benz masih belum menyatakan berapa harga G-Class baharu itu. Tetapi dengan gabungan keliatan dan sentuhan moden, ia pasti mendapat sambutan hangat peminat di mana-mana.
During the launch of the Concept CLA Class at the 2023 IAA Munich, Mercedes’ CEO, Ola Källenius, took the stage to make an even more noteworthy announcement. He confirmed the rumours that the famous G-Class was being scaled down. Källenius described this little off-roader while a boxy SUV design draw-up was shown in the backdrop. He made it clear that this “Little G” will run solely on electricity.
Mercedes-AMG G 63
The smaller G-Class hasn’t yet been given a release date, but given that all we have to go on right now is a design sketch, it’s safe to assume that it won’t be until at least a few years. Källenius emphasised that Mercedes is well aware of the responsibilities involved in this endeavour while acknowledging the difficulty of living up to the iconic G-Class tradition. He guaranteed that the “Little G” will be “instantly recognisable” and confirmed that it will provide a pleasurable driving experience both on and off-road.
BRABUS is well known for taking Mercedes-Benz models and adding its own special engineering to boost performance, while keeping the cars road-legal. Now, for its 45th anniversary, the German company has come out with its first supercar with an in-house developed chassis and buggy-style design.
Called the 900 CRAWLER, it’s strictly an off-roader and cannot be registered for use on public roads. The 900 CRAWLER will be exclusive as only 15 units will be built for sale over the next 3 years. Each unit will be priced from 749,000 euros (about RM3.45 million) ex-factory, with the first 5 delivered this year. Another 5 will be available in 2023, followed by the remained in 2024.
While the 900 CRAWLER uses the Mercedes-Benz G-Class as a starting point, it is almost ‘naked’ as there are no body panels and the buggy-style body and roof are primarily designed to provide shade. The structure, which serves as a roll-cage, is made from high-strength exposed carbonfibre while the underbody panels are made of aluminium and a tough carbon/kevlar composite material.
Extra-wide front and rear wheel arches suitable for the king-sized tyres are integrated into the exposed-carbonfibre bodywork. The roof skin provides not only shade for the occupants but also features integrated air ducts and vents for the riders in the rear seats. Two powerful LED panels are integrated in the roof skin at the front to the left and right of the central air intake. In the dark, they help the main headlights to light up the terrain ahead.
Another special visual feature of the 900 CRAWLER is the bonnet. It has two air intakes at the front and also efficiently vents the air heated by the engine from the engine bay through outlets integrated at the sides.
The chassis is formed using a tubular frame made from high-strength steel, painted the distinctive red colour of the brand. Portal axles at the front and rear provide ground clearance of 530 mm and there are matching height-adjustable special struts with adjustable damping which provide up to 160 mm of spring travel. These give the 900 CRAWLER superior capability over extreme terrain.
The suspension layout raises the position of the engine, transmission, differentials and half-shafts, which requires engineering special wheel ends with integral portal gearbox to compensate for this height difference in driving the wheels. All special components required for this are milled from solid pieces of high-strength aluminium.
The huge off-road tyres also play a role in the tremendous ground. Sized 40 x 13.50 R 20, they are mounted on 9.5Jx20 BRABUS Monoblock HD PLATINUM EDITION forged wheels. To handle the enormous loads generated during off-road driving, the wheels are manufactured with an 8-hole bolt pattern to match the portal axles. A fifth, identical complete wheel is mounted as a spare at the rear.
To take the 900 CRAWLER over the toughest terrain is company’s most powerful powerplant. This is the ROCKET 900 V8 twin-turbo 4.5-litre engine with a peak output of 888 bhp and a peak torque of 1,250 Nm. The output is sent to the wheels through a 9-speed transmission and permanent all-wheel drive system. Though weighing 2,065 kgs, the 900 CRAWLER is claimed to be able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds but for safety, especially with the off-road tyres, the maximum speed is electronically limited to 160 km/h.
Unlike most other BRABUS models which have luxurious premium and generously padded interiors, the interior of the 900 CRAWLER is more functionally oriented with a rugged theme. To provide contrast to the dominant carbon, the seat padding of the 4 racing seats are covered with bright red Silvertex fabric. Also used in the BRABUS Marine high-performance boats, this fabric is designed to be extremely resistant to dust and water as well as the effects of the sun.
In addition, the cockpit has been specially designed taking into consideration the needs of off-road travellers. It includes a modern intercom system for driver and passengers as well as a GPS-based off-road navigation system that is used by desert rally teams. The bracket for the GPS navigation system positioned in front of the co-driver sports that same colour. BRABUS optionally also supplies individually compiled map data for the area where the particular CRAWLER buyer operates the vehicle.
Like other BRABUS models, there are red anodized parts such as the pedals and the driver footrest as well as elements such as the switches with red glazing to match the red highlights.
BRABUS is well known for its high-performance upgrades to Mercedes-Benz models and while that forms the bulk of its business, the company can also do special protection vehicles for customers who need protection from more than just accidents.
The company produces an innovative variant of the current Mercedes-Benz G-Class armoured in accordance with the VR6 Plus ERV standard, known as the INVICTO. The all-terrain vehicle comes in three different versions: PURE, LUXURY and MISSION.
In order to provide the occupants with maximum protection against small arms fire and explosives, the engineers from BRABUS developed the ‘INVICTO Shelter Cell’, a self-contained, self-supporting and bolted-down protective cell. In addition, there are further protective elements that are in part produced using a special 3D printing process and, of course, all-around extremely tough bulletproof glass.
After extensive ballistics and explosives testing, the protection levels of the INVICTO are confirmed to meet high industry standards. The armoured SUV can resist not only 7.62 x 39 calibre rounds (used in automatic weapons such as the AK-47), but also hand grenades and 12.5-kg explosive charges.
However, the high level of protection remains largely unseen from the outside. It’s all ‘under the skin’ with high-tech materials used. A common feature of all three INVICTO models is the innovative special protection package developed specifically for the body of the G-Class. The doors and the hatch are fitted with newly developed protective elements, including extremely tough bulletproof glass.
In order to fit them into the body of the G-Class, the engineers developed an innovative structure for the upper windshield frame. It is the first time anywhere in the world that protective elements are used which are made in a 3D printer using additive manufacturing processes.“ .
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Unlike vehicles where the armour is retrofitted, the individual elements of the protection system by BRABUS is not welded separately into the bodyshell of the vehicle. Everything is bolted-down as a unit. To this end, the company manufactures precise-fit, hot-rolled steel armour plates and additional protective elements made from materials such as carefully selected fabric and fibre structures as well as from ceramic and metal composite materials.
Among the many special constructive features of the INVICTO Shelter Cell is the fact that there is no narrowing of the door openings whatsoever. Getting in and out of the vehicle comfortably is crucial for many owners of a G-Class. In addition, the protective cell has a zero-gap design. This means that the individual components of the armour are installed without any gaps between them. This is of elementary importance for providing maximum security under small arms fire or an explosive attack.
But active safety is not overlooked either and the engineers revise suspension settings and also components to match the increased weight as well as maintain safe handling. There’s also a high-performance braking system and 20-inch INVICTO wheels with special run-flat tyres.
In addition, the vehicle frame was reinforced in the area of the side members and the strut towers were reinforced as well. Despite the outstanding level of protection added, the weight increase is only about 1,000 kgs, which is relatively little in comparison.
The INVICTO can be ordered with various petrol engines available for the current G-Class models. The cost of the protection packages start at 354,600 euros, which is equivalent to about RM1.7 million. If you are someone who needs such protection, chances are the cost will not be an issue!
If owning the latest Mercedes-Benz G-Class is still not enough to ‘make a statement’, BRABUS ADVENTURE has a PowerXtra performance upgrade that not only enhances the macho looks but also increases its off-road capabilities to make a stronger staement.
For the owners of the new G-Class turbodiesel version G 350 d, BRABUS has a new performance upgrade that pushes output to 326 bhp/660 Nm. The power unit engineers developed the module for the straight-six turbodiesel engine with common-rail direct injection. The plug-and-play auxiliary control unit is adapted to the CAN bus of the G-Class.
The claimed driving performance is certainly impressive for a diesel-powered off-roader weighing about 2.5 metric tons: from rest, it can reach 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and then go on to a top speed of 202 km/h.
An all-stainless BRABUS sport exhaust system is of course also available for the G 350 d. It features the unmistakable distinctive mark of BRABUS – two chrome tailpipes in the unusual side-pipe design on each side of the vehicle.
The off-road capabilities of a vehicle depend not only on the powertrain and tyres but also and especially the ground clearance when the terrain gets rougher. That is why the BRABUS suspension engineers developed special height-adjustable BRABUS ADVENTURE sport springs for the electronically-controlled, height-adjustable G-Class suspension. They allow raising the vehicle by up to another 40 mm.
In order to optimize the off-road capabilities further, the fender flares of the BRABUS WIDESTAR widebody tower over 20-inch Monoblock R wheels with maximum-traction off-road 285/55R20 tyres. The pivoted spare wheel carrier with carbonfibre cover holds a fifth wheel of the same specification for emergencies.
Other options that make the G-Model also fit for expeditions are the winch at the front and the wind deflector above the windshield, which with its 4 LED auxiliary headlamps improves illumination of the terrain in the dark. Further useful features are a large, robust luggage rack that spans the entire roof and a ladder at the rear that facilitates loading and unloading.
BRABUS refinement inside
The interior can be refined with exclusive BRABUS fine leather Mastik leather/Alcantara appointments in any conceivable colour and a wide variety of designs. The pictures show one example for customers with the centre sections of the seats and door panels given an arrowhead pattern quilting applied with pinpoint precision.
To create an attractive contrast to the black leather, white piping and decorative seams were incorporated in various places. Tailor-made aluminium components such as pedals, door-lock pins and ergonomically-shaped paddle shifters on the steering wheel are among the options available.
With its long experience and 40-year track record, BRABUS is confident of all the upgrading work and components installed and offers customers a 3-year/100,000-km Tuning Warranty (with terms and conditions applicable).
