Automotive

Review: 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a high falutin’ brick on wheels

Review: 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a high falutin’ brick on wheels
2025 Mercedes-Benz G comes in three flavors, including this gasoline-powered 550
2025 Mercedes-Benz G comes in three flavors, including this gasoline-powered 550
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2025 Mercedes-Benz G comes in three flavors, including this gasoline-powered 550
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2025 Mercedes-Benz G comes in three flavors, including this gasoline-powered 550
The all-electric model for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G is the 580
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The all-electric model for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G is the 580
The plug to charge the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 is behind that giant Mercedes symbol on the grille
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The plug to charge the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 is behind that giant Mercedes symbol on the grille
The most annoying part about driving the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 in this color was that everyone assumed it was a Land Rover
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The most annoying part about driving the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 in this color was that everyone assumed it was a Land Rover
The slick street tires on the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 the author drove meant light off-road was all it could do safely
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The slick street tires on the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 the author drove meant light off-road was all it could do safely
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 is a contradictory brick on wheels with an EV powertrain – and it's awesome
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The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 is a contradictory brick on wheels with an EV powertrain – and it's awesome
The Mercedes-Benz G 580 has an exclusive "G-Turn" mode for spinning in place
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The Mercedes-Benz G 580 has an exclusive "G-Turn" mode for spinning in place
Cargo and seating in the Mercedes-Benz G 580 is good, but not as large as you'd expect
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Cargo and seating in the Mercedes-Benz G 580 is good, but not as large as you'd expect
Under the hood and engine cover of the Mercedes-Benz G 580 is a lot of complicated-looking hardware
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Under the hood and engine cover of the Mercedes-Benz G 580 is a lot of complicated-looking hardware
Off-roading the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 meant it got covered in leaves and dirt – probably the best time it's ever had, to be honest
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Off-roading the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 meant it got covered in leaves and dirt – probably the best time it's ever had, to be honest
With the proper tires, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 is a solidly competent off-road rig
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With the proper tires, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 is a solidly competent off-road rig
The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 enjoys the wilderness
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The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 enjoys the wilderness
The climb-in for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G Wagen is pretty high, but the solid thunk of the doors reminds you that there's a reason for that
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The climb-in for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G Wagen is pretty high, but the solid thunk of the doors reminds you that there's a reason for that
The old-school Mercedes command pad can be overridden by the new touchscreen in the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550
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The old-school Mercedes command pad can be overridden by the new touchscreen in the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550
Cargo space in the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is square and tall, like the SUV itself
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Cargo space in the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is square and tall, like the SUV itself
The author assumes that the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 will never have a happier time in its street-cushioned life than it was with him
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The author assumes that the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 will never have a happier time in its street-cushioned life than the time it spent with him out in the dirt
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Mercedes-Benz has once again updated its most gloriously impractical vehicle: the G-Class. The 2025 model sees subtle evolutionary changes, but the real eyebrow-raiser this year is the all-new G 580 – the first fully electric G-Wagen. Yes, Mercedes put batteries in a barn door and somehow made it work.

At a Glance

  • Nostalgic touches with modern tech
  • Gasoline version off-roads like its legend promises
  • EV model is smoother than expected
  • If you have to ask about the price tag, you can’t afford it

The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen is the SUV equivalent of giving a Viking a smartwatch. Yet somehow it’s highly appealing and makes perfect sense once you experience it.

Let’s start with what hasn’t changed: the G-Class still looks like a refrigerator on wheels. It still rides on a ladder frame, still features bolt-upright styling that laughs in the face of aerodynamics, and still retains the off-road gear-head cred that made it a legend in the dirt long before it became a valet fleet mainstay in Beverly Hills.

The climb-in for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G Wagen is pretty high, but the solid thunk of the doors reminds you that there's a reason for that
The climb-in for the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G Wagen is pretty high, but the solid thunk of the doors reminds you that there's a reason for that

The old school thumb-button door handles on doors that require a good slam to properly shut is a nostalgic touch that takes the G-Wagen from “luxury car” to “tough luxury” in one simple design choice. The upright posture, high climb-in height, and heavy low-speed handling top-off that impression. But everything else is 100% modern. Technology is high-end and even cutting edge, comforts are plentiful, and road noise is almost non-existent. It’s a great combination of old and new.

Even better, the gasoline G 550 I drove had all-terrain tires on it, which meant I got to take it into the wilderness a bit – something most G-Wagens almost never do in real life. So for a week, I drove it around town like my last name is Schwarzenegger and occasionally took it into the Wyoming bushlands for some dirt and mud time. It was awesome.

For 2025, the gas-powered G 550 gets a 3.0-liter inline-six with a mild hybrid assist and 443 horsepower (326 kW). This makes it smooth, competent, and more efficient than before; though “efficient” here is relative. And yes, the AMG G63 is back with its fire-breathing twin-turbo V8 and a license to shred both tires and good judgment. Vehicle Stability Control will be your friend with that one.

But for me, the G 580 is where things got interesting.

On paper, an electric G-Class sounds like a contradiction in terms. This would be adding an electric drivetrain to what is basically a brick on wheels. Now it’s a heavy brick on wheels. That doesn’t seem like an efficient combination. And it’s not. That wasn’t Mercedes’ goal. It aimed for something else.

The G 580 keeps the traditional G-Wagen body and ladder frame but swaps in four electric motors (one at each wheel) for true torque-vectoring and a rated 579 horsepower (426 kW) with 859 lb-ft (1,165 Nm) of twist. This makes the G 580 the smoothest, most comfortable, and most power-delivery-predictable of the Gs. And it’s glorious.

Under the hood and engine cover of the Mercedes-Benz G 580 is a lot of complicated-looking hardware
Under the hood and engine cover of the Mercedes-Benz G 580 is a lot of complicated-looking hardware

It weighs nearly 7,300 pounds (3,311 kg), of course, but the G-Wagen EV still hits 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in under 5 seconds. Because why not?

The G 580’s 116-kWh battery is integrated into a reinforced underbody designed to take off-road punishment, and Mercedes says it delivers about 240-ish miles (386 km) of range, per the EPA. And, like most EVs, a bit less in the real world. It supports fast charging up to 200 kW, so juice-ups aren’t terrible ... unless you're in a place like Moab, where a charger is harder to find than a Starbucks in Death Valley.

Here’s where the electric G goes full sci-fi: thanks to those four independent motors, it can literally rotate in place. Mercedes calls it the “G-Turn”, and it's like a tank spin for the TikTok crowd. It's absurd, unnecessary, and hilarious. So it’s perfect.

There’s also a “Creeping Mode” for low-speed off-roading and software-based trail helpers that simulate locking differentials without the mechanical complexity. Combine that with its 33.5-inch (85-cm) water fording depth and steep approach angles, and the G 580 is a serious off-roader, just one that runs on electrons instead of dinosaur juice. Sadly, the one I drove for a week had bland summer tires instead of A/Ts, so it was an off-road nobody as a result. But it was fun spinning it around in circles on a dirt road.

Regardless of powertrain, the 2025 G-Class has a properly luxurious interior. You get Mercedes’ latest MBUX infotainment system with dual 12.3-inch screens, a digital off-road display suite, and the kind of ambient lighting that makes it feel like a gaming PC at the Ritz. Add in the Burmester 3D surround system and some Ozzy’s Boneyard and things are pretty great inside the G-Wagen.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class lineup walks the line between outrageous and oddly practical. Assuming your definition of "practical" includes clearing boulders and scaring sports cars in a straight line. The combustion models remain unapologetically brash, while the new G 580 offers a surprisingly authentic G-Wagen experience without liquid fuel.

It’s still more of a statement than a sensible choice – but that’s the point. The G-Class was never about blending in. It’s about commanding attention.

Electric or otherwise, the G-Wagen is a flex. It's just that now, one of those flexes comes with no tailpipe and a rotating party trick. And the price? Nothing below six figures, so if you have to ask, you probably can’t afford one.

The author assumes that the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 will never have a happier time in its street-cushioned life than it was with him
The author assumes that the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G 550 will never have a happier time in its street-cushioned life than the time it spent with him out in the dirt

Product Page: 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class

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1 comment
1 comment
Drjohnf
I had a G63 for years. Very much enjoyed it, but the windshield basically got destroyed every couple of years due to its vertical orientation. The $4k price of replacement got to be a bit old. Also, the interior room in the G63 is surprisingly small for passengers. Great for a LOT of cargo for 2 people, but forget transporting 5 people. The rear passengers are simply never really able to be comfortable. I replaced it with a Cayenne Turbo S E-hybrid, which is way more cavernous inside and very capable off-road, though not quite as capable as the G63. The compromise is very much worth it to me though.