The long-awaited 100% electric version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class was finally revealed simultaneously in Beijing and Los Angeles.
Mercedes-Benz G580: a 3,000 kg ”electric” for luxury off-roading
First news: the “all-terrain” monolithic dropped the EQG acronym that the prototype carried in 2021, to gain the designation G580 with EQ technology.
Super powerful, full of technology and heavy, very heavy indeed, it maintains some of the attributes that made the purely thermal variants a success off the tarmac.
Unmistakable style
The engine may be 100% electric, but Mercedes-Benz has managed to maintain in this G580 the style and characteristic architecture that made the G-Class a success.
On the outside, the off-road It is recognizable by the perforated grille with four horizontal slots, painted in the body color or lacquered in black with a luminous frame.
The slightly raised bonnet and windshield pillar finish were also modified accordingly to gain better aerodynamics.
This objective is reinforced by the design of the 18-inch black wheels, as well as the small spoiler on the front of the roof, as well as the air intakes on the rear fenders.
At the rear, you can keep the traditional spare wheel cover or opt for a box to store charging cables, among other accessories.
The interior decoration is completely identical to that of the recently restyled thermal “brother”, with the driving position being defined by the double panel for instrumentation and multimedia with the MBUX system.
There is also the possibility for those traveling in the back to have their own 11.6-inch screens to browse the internet.
The luggage compartment volume, however, lost 85 liters to remain at 454 liters without folding the rear seats.
XXL battery to cut anxiety
And how does this G580 manage to remain a reference off the tarmac? Nothing better than assembling four electric motors with individual control for as many wheels.
Each with 108 kW (147 hp), the combined power reaches 432 kW (587 hp) but it is the 1,164 Nm of torque that really impresses.
If the maximum speed is limited to 180 km/hour, it only takes 4.7 seconds to reach zero to 100 km/hour in this off-roader of 3,085 kilos; You almost need a driving license for “heavy duty vehicles”!
What’s new is that mechanical limited-slip differentials have been dispensed with in favor of a more effective “virtual” differential lock, with each wheel receiving the torque it needs depending on the grip conditions.
Cutting the electrical anxiety is an XXL battery with 116 kWh for a range of up to 473 kilometers, compared to an average consumption that ranges between 27.7 and 30.3 kWh/100 km.
And it only takes 32 minutes to charge it from 20 to 80% on a 200 kW fast station, taking almost 12 hours to reach maximum capacity on an 11 kW alternating current charger.
Earth or tar?
The Mercedes-Benz G580 remains faithful to the ladder chassis, with independent front suspension with double wishbones, and a rigid rear axle, with the adaptive shock absorbers “taken” from the thermal G.
It has also been reinforced with a torsion-resistant “case” and shock-resistant carbon fiber bottom plate to accommodate the massive 116 kWh battery made up of 216 lithium-ion cells.
There are three generic driving modes for asphalt – Comfort, Sport It is Individual – and two others for the off-road – Trail It is Rock –, selected from the control Electric Dynamic Select.
Interesting are two solutions out of the tar, with the G-Steering to reduce the turning circle when turning on the inside rear wheel.
The function G-Turn allows it to rotate up to two turns on the vertical axis, as if it had “tracks”, with the wheels on the right and left rotating in opposite directions.
In addition to the reducer, which is essential to activate these two functions, there is also an automatic low-speed system with two fixed ratios and one variable.
This mode Off-Road Crawl allows the G580 to move forward on difficult terrain without the driver’s intervention, “freeing” him to concentrate on driving.
Exclusivity can be seen in the price
With a ground clearance of 250 mm, you can ford water courses as long as they do not exceed 850 mm in depth.
Standard is the so-called “transparent hood”, which virtually displays on the multimedia screen the obstacles that are immediately in front of the SUV but out of the driver’s view.
More difficult obstacles are also passable thanks to an approach angle of 32 degrees and a departure angle of 30.7 degrees, with the ventral angle reaching 20.3 degrees.
Still without defined prices or arrival date in our country, the new Mercedes-Benz G580 is proposed in Germany from 142,622 euros.
The limited series Edition Onewith exclusive technological features and aesthetic elements, sets the starting tone for the launch of the SUV, with a starting price of 192,524 euros.
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