Test Drive Mercedes-Benz G 580 EQ: The Summit!

The G – the hipster car. However, it has very sensible roots: It was originally conceived together with Steyr-Daimler-Puch as a universal military and commercial vehicle – and launched as a solid 72-hp diesel sand dune with two wheelbases. From the outset, it was characterized by the warty indicators on the fenders and the loud noise of the locking system. Mercedes-Benz kept these features as well as the door handles and the heavy-locking vault portals, which still want to be slammed shut. G-fans appreciate such nostalgic details.

The military and commercial users were rather indifferent: They occasionally opted for it somewhat cautiously, but the private versions became increasingly stylish and trendy, and nowadays the private "G" as an extremely expensive, extremely off-road capable individualist makes up the bulk of the business. Often seen as the top model G63 AMG with distinctive double exhaust pipes that play as "sidepipes" before the rear wheel – there are two for each cylinder bank. The fuel consumption? Exorbitant like the G's off-road capability. Only the 450d can manage under 15 l/100 km, but nonetheless, the car assembled in Styria has many fans.

Marketing twist: Schwarzenegger demanded the E-version from Zetsche

Among them is the Styrian Arnold Schwarzenegger, who publicly demanded the electric version from the ex-CEO Dieter Zetsche at the Detroit Motor Show in January 2018, after having his private G converted to electric by the Austrian electric specialists at Kreisel beforehand. That it wasn't that easy to implement is shown by the time: In the end, fulfilling Zetsche's promise took six years!

Now, at last, we were allowed to take the electric production G off-road – as part of Mercedes-Benz's "Snowy-Top Driving Event," where they clear eight kilometers of the Timmelsjoch pass to repeatedly host their own winter driving events.

Despite ESP and intelligent control technology, braking distances on ice are massively extended!

Our G 580 climbs from 2,045 to 2,509 meters in altitude. The route is challenging: It partly steeply descends, has tight hairpin turns, and some "cambered curves" – and under the fluffy fresh snow usually lies bare ice! Our first braking test already results in a principly extreeeeem long braking distance. Then – and in the hairpin turns – the G 580's minimum 3,045-kilogram curb weight is very noticeable.

No marketing gimmick: The G 580 with EQ technology is truly NOT an EQG

Sure, an underground 116-kWh battery has been crammed in, which should bring a range of up to 473 kilometers according to WLTP. In reality, the G with the ladder frame was preserved and did not receive any new EQ-something platform...

But the well over 2,000 meters in Hochgurgl first have to be ascended – on federal roads: From Innsbruck, which is 574 meters below sea level, it's practically all uphill, the weather is nasty and bitterly cold, leaving a meager 250 kilometers of range. Rest assured: The combustion engines also take an extra gulp from the tank on this route. It is clear: Even electric, the solid G is no spendthrift. And as we accelerate it towards the Timmelsjoch, the consumption display stays well north of 70 kWh/100 km for a long time! The combustion consumption of some plug-in hybrids that we could also drive explodes here to values between 50 and 70 liters/100 km!!!!

"Deep snow jogging": Climbing snow-covered and icy gradients costs a great deal of energy

Plowing uphill on ice and snow costs a tremendous amount of energy! When we finally drive the G 580 back to Innsbruck, it reports ZERO consumption for the first 35 kilometers and the range increases from an initial 313 to a maximum of 431 kilometers – after we have already driven 47 kilometers, which would just about reach the 473 kilometers according to WLTP, although not with a fully charged battery, meaning: Anyone who can restrain their pedal foot should also average a good 300 kilometers in winter, which is always enough for daily use.

But with a starting price of just under 147,000 euros, consumption is likely to be of little concern, the focus for the G is its potential in power and presence: It has more than enough of that: If needed, it burns to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, sprints up to 180 km/h, and you can also enable the typical G63 sound internally as "G-Roar" sound, which we found G-lunging, as well as the expensive Burmester sound system, which produces rich, room-filling sound despite relatively little space in the narrow dashboard, even here bass-heavy. And as we scroll through the not-so-large screen: You quickly find your way around the menus, complemented by great voice recognition and intelligent navigation including charging planning.

With a charging capacity of up to 200 kW, the charge from 10 to 80% should be completed within 32 minutes, unfortunately, it can only manage 11 kW AC... here we hope for perspective updates that either make the battery denser or lighter...

Four electric machines level out the exorbitant weight

The four permanently excited electric motors have no trouble with the block: Up to 432 kW (that's 588 hp) shoot the box forward, but even more impressive are the 1,164 Newton meters of torque. Much more than in the 63 AMG, especially since this torque is practically "instant"! Which means you can climb an eleven percent gradient as if the G weighed one ton and not three! But thanks to the four wheel-near and individually controllable electric motors, it can also G-Steer. To do this, we go into "Trail Mode" without ESP. Then the G brakes the inner wheels specifically and assigns the outer ones a bit more power, so that it practically turns into tight corners and prevents a straight-on sliding towards the curve edge on the loose snow! This simplifies maneuvering in terrain with loose surfaces. At the curve exit, you have to keep your pedal foot in check and be ready to counter-steer quickly if you don't want the rear end to overtake you.

The electric machines open up completely new potentials

But the combination of electricity and smart control can do even more: Intelligent off-road crawling uphill and downhill, so that you basically only have to hold the steering wheel – which makes heavy terrain a relaxed pleasure. Or "G-Turn," where the "G" makes a turn of up to 720 degrees on the spot – but only on loose ground – which should be considered more as a poser than a necessary function. You activate it just like the reduction in the center console. Yes, the G has a "reduction" to bring EVEN MORE torque to the wheel when needed.

The electric version is allowed to wade deeper through water than the combustion engines!

Which brings us to the terrain where the G-Class can unfold its true potential: The approach angles are over 30 degrees, the ramp angle more than 20 degrees, there is 25 centimeters of ground clearance, and a wading depth of up to 85 centimeters, surpassing the combustion engines by ten centimeters! So much for electric cars not being allowed in water! It doesn't have to suck in air, so it's enough to seal below… and since the battery lowers the center of gravity, the G580 offers up to 35 degrees or 70 percent tilt angle. The gradient angle is 45 degrees or 100 percent. Here they do not want to cut corners electrically and want to stand up to Jeep, Land Rover, or Toyota – because alongside the Wrangler, Defender, and Land Cruiser, the G is one of the most competent (mass-produced) climbers on the market.