The Mercedes-Benz G-Class (geländewagen or g-wagen for short), is a car that needs no introduction.
In an automotive world overrun by same-same A-to-B appliances, the latest G blasts into Singapore in all its chunky-dory glory, as Mercedes-Benz Singapore launches not one, but three variants of the automotive icon, including the all-electric G 580 with EQ Technology.
As with many Singaporean males, my first interaction with the G-Class was during National Service – the 1990s in my case.
There was an implacable, functional-cool rizz to these recce jeeps that never required any additional aura farming.
It was not until the noughties that I came into contact with civilian versions of the g-wagen, and gosh was I blown away by the fashionable role this anti-fashion, anti-establishment cult automotive icon had so effortlessly eased into.
The G-Class has been elevated to pop culture status and can be spotted in all the trendiest music, art, film and fashion genres.
See also: Star struck over the new G-Class
And yet it is more than just another pretty face, because the charismatic G easily segues into its rock and raunchy 4x4 role to grapple with the harshest environments known to man, and yet will look perfectly at home in front of your five-star hotel as it rumbles in to park.
The “stronger than time” catchphrase is not just lip service, because the G-Class is one of the original automotive archetypes that never goes out of style.
In this issue, we take a closer look at the launch of the latest Mercedes-Benz G-Class in Singapore.