Who says Australians don’t have impeccable taste in cars?
The iconic Mercedes-Benz G-Class – a hugely expensive, four-decade-old nameplate that in its latest form pairs a boxy exterior with a bang up-to-date interior – reset its Australian sales record in June.
Mercedes-Benz handed over 161 G-Wagens to Australian customers last month, the most ever, suggesting a big batch of arrivals landed.
By my calculations, that’s about 10 per cent of the total lifetime sales of this generation G-Class, which has found roughly 1600 owners since 2018.
The current iteration of Mercedes’ long-serving G-Class hit Australia in barking-mad G63 guise in late 2018, with the G400d diesel option lobbing in 2021 and reviewed here.
While the ‘G’ doesn’t really have much in the way of competitors, it absolutely dominated the ‘Upper Large SUV over $100,000’ market segment, with a 34 per cent market share. Next were the BMW X7 (85 sales) and Audi Q8 (78).
Demand has always outstripped supply, with waiting lists a factor since day one. One reason is its sheer uniqueness, but another is the fact it’s painstakingly made under contract by Magna in Austria in pretty low numbers to start with.
Keen on your own G-Wagen? You’d better be ready to wait, in some cases for the upcoming update spied here. Here’s what the Mercedes-Benz Australia website says:
“Due to high levels of demand, the G-Class is currently out of stock. Please click ‘Stay up to date’ to fill out a form and be notified once new stock has arrived to secure your very own, one of a kind G-Class.”
Mercedes-Benz Concept EQG
Alternatively you could just shell out way over the odds for a low-mileage one. The Mercedes-AMG G63 wears an indicated drive-away price of $349,000, but there are a number being sold privately in the classifieds for between $400,000 and $600,000.
As to the G’s future, expect electrification to come soon. Mercedes-Benz revealed the “near-production” Concept EQG in September last year, with evolutionary looks and the promise of enough off-road ability to match its legendary predecessors.
