Mercedes-Benz G580 review

A G-Wagen, with very little to tell you that you’re powered by electricity. The three buttons in the middle no longer house the diff-locks (front, centre, rear), and now feature the G-Steer, Low-range and G-Turn options. There are different animations, but it’s very much like the ICE cars.

There’s still a quite upright feel (so you can still see those indicator lights on top of the front wings), a big Jesus handle on the dash in front of the passenger, and still relatively tight room in the back. People imagine it’s a whopper, the G-Class, but it manages to be massively imposing without actually shading that much ground – at 4,624mm it’s shorter than a BMW 3 Series. All the more impressive how much weight Mercedes managed to pack in there…

No packaging miracles inside – it’s pretty cramped and although the 620-litre boot sounds generous, that’s only because it’s tall, not deep or wide.

What about connectivity and screens?

This is probably where the biggest interior change lies, but it’s common to this next-generation of G-Wagen. There’s now a big 12.3-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash, complementing the driver’s information screen directly up front. Connectivity is good, ADAS all present and correct. Textures and materials are all still top-notch, though Mercedes’ light obsession with silver trim still irritates.

There’s a load of features, too. An ‘off-road cockpit’ that displays all the relevant functions (tyre pressures, inclination, compass, torque-to-wheel), camera-based ‘transparent bonnet’ so you can see which rocks you’re about to scrape over, off-road cruise control… everything you might need. And the screens are clear, crisp and fast. Maybe a little bit grandiose, but we’ll take it.

The information is all beautifully presented in a cabin that remains not only handsome, but beautifully wrought. Not a creak to be heard. The driving position is commanding, the seats maybe a touch small and narrower across the back than you might expect.

Any other fun features?

There is no frunk under the square snout, but you see the tyre box on the back door? That’s fake. No spare in there, instead just storage for your charge cable. So yeah, no spare on this G580. Curious decision, but you can replace it with a proper spare free of charge.

What other options are available?

Many. And most of them are, like the spare wheel, free to switch in. You can choose between the Exclusive or Superior Line interior (the former more relaxed, the latter more nightcluby), the Comfort Pack is free (but only brings Keyless, a chilled cupholder and wireless charging), the interior colours are free to select, and you can choose between two wheel designs.

Then the charges. Rear seat entertainment is £3,495, the Magno colours are £6,000 and so on. One of the Edition One cars would have set you back £180,860.

What spec would you go for?

It really depends what you want your G to be. If it’s an urban tank, then the First Edition with matte paint and a funny-shaped box on the back might well be for you. But an electrified G with a sombre gloss paint, a real spare wheel on the back, a traditional grille and clear glass actually looks brilliant. No one would ever know that you’d gone all... electric.