New Military-Spec Mercedes G-Wagen Announced With More Power, Torque

If you own a Mercedes G-Class, you probably know that the boxy and burly SUV was initially developed as a military vehicle – or maybe not because you only see it as a status symbol rather than a utilitarian machine.

Now, despite being offered as a luxurious civilian SUV, several nations still use a military-spec G-Wagen for uniformed personnel. This G-Class was coded W461 and has been in production since 1992.

That's about to change as Mercedes-Benz has announced the arrival of a new military-spec G-Wagen for Europe.

Gallery: Military Mercedes-Benz G-Class W464

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According to Australia's Which Car, the new 'Special-Ops' G-Class carries the W464 series, now exclusively available to government agencies and militaries "for rescue and special operations." However, the publication confirmed that the W461 will still be manufactured.

Details aren't readily available to the public, but it's announced that the non-civilian G-Class W464 G350d will have more off-road capabilities plus a more powerful 3.0-liter turbo-diesel straight-six.

The new W464 is reportedly making 245 horsepower (183 kilowatts) and 443 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque – a 35 percent increase in output and a whopping 50 percent improvement on torque. These numbers are sent to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It also has an improved fuel economy and a 24-volt electrical system, while payload has been increased and modern touches such as LED headlights and DRLs have been added.

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Meanwhile, the more civilized G-Class W463 also gets a new Professional Line exterior trim as announced at the recently-concluded IAA at Munich. Apart from visual updates, the Professional Line offers additional features and equipment meant for off-roading.

Also introduced in Munich was the Mercedes EQG Concept, which is the near-production all-electric version of the G-Wagen. No powertrain details have been provided yet and Mercedes didn't disclose the timeline for the EQG's arrival, but it's expected that a few changes will be employed in the production model, primarily in the design department.

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