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Mercedes-Benz G-Class Overview
The G-Class is the story of the car (SUV) that couldn't be killed.
It was originally designed for military use and was dubbed the
Geländewagen. A cooperative venture with Magna Steyr, the G-Wagen
went into use in the late 1970s with various armies, in variants
such as ambulance, transport, and scout. Along with the Toyota
Land Cruiser and the Land Rover Range Rover, the G-Wagen quickly
earned a reputation for absolute durability. The civilian model went
on sale in 1979, but at the time was not homologated for U.S. sale.
A thriving grey market sprang up for the vehicle, and Mercedes
finally decided to get in on the action in 2002, with the
by-now-upgraded W463 version, now called simply the G-Class. The
ubiquitous AMG division added a G55 for 2003. Only the long-wheelbase
4-door was offered; the diesel and unique cabriolet model were not imported.
The vehicle was to be discontinued
and replaced by the GL-Class (a full-size SUV stretched off the M-Class
platform), but these plans were shelved after objections from loyal buyers of
the legendary off-roader, and so Mercedes-Benz kept it in limited production.
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