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| | Posted on Sunday, November 27, 2005 - 5:02 pm: |       |
Legendary G-Class Could Return to Australia
Melbourne – Mercedes-Benz this week announced it will continue to produce its “classic off roader” in the coming years, a move that could result in a limited number of G-Class models being imported into Australia for enthusiasts of the legendary vehicle.
On behalf of Mercedes-Benz, the company Magna Steyr has manufactured over 185,000 units of the legendary G Class in Graz, Austria, since 1979. The car continues to be very popular among customers, and it has been part of the Mercedes product lineup for the past 26 years.
“Whilst the legendary G-Class is currently not available in Australia, the decision to continue with this model could help our plans to import a limited-edition run of G 55 AMG models next year,” said Horst von Sanden, managing director of the Mercedes Car Group in Australia.
The Mercedes-Benz E Class 4MATIC, which Magna Steyr in Graz has also been building since 1996, will be manufactured instead at the DaimlerChrysler plant in Sindelfingen from early 2007. “By continuing to produce the G-Class in Graz and manufacturing all E-Class variants at our main plant in Sindelfingen from 2007, we have found a viable solution for both partner,” explains Dr. Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler Board of Management member and head of the Mercedes Car Group. “We are delighted that we can continue our successful and long-standing cooperation with Magna Steyr.”
With its rugged technology and outstanding off-road capabilities, the G-Class has set standards from the very start. And it is equipped with the industry’s most effective drive and driving safety systems, combining permanent all-wheel drive with the 4ETS electronic traction system and three differential locks that are activated when needed.
The vehicle’s striking shape, which has remained nearly unchanged over a period of almost three decades, has made the “G” a design classic with cult status. Together with its legendary ruggedness, the off-roader’s design has contributed most to its popularity. “Mercedes-Benz wrote automotive history by always ensuring that the G-Class remained state of-the-art over the past 26 years, and it will continue to offer its customers the very latest technology in the future,” says Zetsche. |
