New Mercedes G-Wagen debuts in Detroit (Video)

The National -- The revamped version of one of the UAE’s favourite cars, the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, has made its debut at the North American International Auto Show, which is on in Detroit until January 28.

Although the classic shape of the G-Class, to use its official designation, has remained largely unchanged for decades, the 2018 model of the luxury SUV has a slightly revised, smoother-looking nose, among other design tweaks.

The interior brings parts of that recognisable exterior inside, featuring air vents in the shape of the car’s distinctive round headlamps, while the speakers take influence from the indicators.

The main feature upgrade is the addition of “desert” driving mode in its Dynamic Select system. The new option is specifically designed for vehicles in the Middle East, to up the G-Wagen’s off-road capabilities on sand.

The dimensions are also slightly larger, giving more space for passengers in the front and back – for the latter, that adds up to an extra 150 millimetres of legroom.

The G-Class has been in production since 1979, making it one of the longest-running Mercedes models in the German company’s history. In that time, more than 300,000 have rolled off the assembly line.

The new model is expected to cost from about Dh480,000 when it goes on sale in the UAE later this year.