The most important changes will be found under the sheet metal, where the SUV will shed up to 440 pounds thanks to the extensive use of weight-saving materials like aluminum. Engineers will improve the SUV’s high-speed stability by adding at least four inches of width to the body and fitting an entirely new front suspension setup.
In Europe, Mercedes will offer the G with engines borrowed from the next-gen E-Class including a new 3.0-liter straight-six engine rated at over 360 horsepower and a 3.0-liter diesel-burning inline-six that will churn out at least 300 ponies. Both mills will spin all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission, a unit that is expected to considerably raise the G’s gas mileage.
A potent AMG-tuned version will continue to round out the lineup, but whether the current G55′s V8 engine will remain is not known.
Visually, the G will retain its timeless boxy look but it will get a sleeker front end loosely inspired by the Ener-G-Force concept that debuted at the 2012 edition of the Los Angeles Motor Show. It is too early to tell precisely what the next G will look like but inside sources told British magazine Autocar that it will essentially be an all-new model even though it will continue to be called w463 internally.
Photo by Andrew Ganz.
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