Enduring magic

We were in Austria to experience the Mercedes-Benz G-Class in its different iterations. Here is how thrilling the whole experience was

- Aspi Bhathena

If you look at cars and sport utility vehicles (SUV) around the world, you will notice a model that was launched in the 1970s and is still in production. To top it off, it remains in great demand all over the world. The SUV I am speaking of is the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It was launched as the G-Wagen in 1979, and it is still being sold as the G-Class. Even today, the basic body shape and the ladder-type chassis remain more or less the same as the original G-Wagen. The G-Class comes with three different types of powertrains: diesel, petrol, electric, and a performance AMG version as well. It is a legend because it is in high demand even after being in production for so many years. That is truly amazing. Indeed, the demand is so high that none of the markets gets the number of cars it needs to meet the demand.

We have driven the SUV extensively, but the folk at Mercedes-Benz India wanted us to visit the Magna factory in Graz, Austria, where it has been in production since 1979, and experience its capability on the tarmac and do some proper off-roading at the GClass Experience Centre in Graz.