esse22

Has anyone heard that 2004 will be the last year for G500
and G55 in the US.
I was told that by a MB sales rep.


Thanks

y2k2ismine

It would be a good move for MB. The G-Class will always play second fiddle to the Range Rover in the U.S. in both sales and quality.

Tezta

Interesting..i wonder when MB will release a new one, if the ever will.

Ted Baldwin

...........My understanding is that both the G and M Class are being phased out, to be replaced by an SUV that borrows from both platforms. whatever it is will definitely be better than the M class, but I wonder if it will ever match the G. Because most SUV owners never take their car offroad, recent trends are to make SUV's more like aggressive looking minivans. The G is totally different. I think Mb made a mistake by introducing the M class. Instead of the M Class, MB could have introduced the G to North America and kept the price in $60K rather than $70K range. This would have paid off in the long run. Instead, MB introduced the M class and the G. M Class is inexpensive but has a reputation for poor quality so it never gained any respect. G class gained Mucho respect and machismo, but is too expensive for most buyers. Now they are trying to figure out what to do with both of them.

Ted

jimmyg

The current G-Class, internally known as the W463 at Mercedes, is scheduled to continue production through the 2006 model year. At that point, production in Austria will end. In 2005, the new ML-Class (W164) will be launched probably followed in the 2007 model-year by an Alabama built follow up to the G-Class based on the new ML. This rumored W464 the focus of the speculation on this web page:

http://www.whnet.com/4x4/w464.html

Mercedes will probably endeavor to make it faster, more comfortable, and more capable than the current G-Class; but what it will probably lack will be the incredible durability, strength, and build quality found in the current model. There's something to be said for a vehicle that is still assembled, welded, and painted by hand. The last of its kind with the three-pointed star.

Of course, the 2004/5 G55 Kompressor will be a fun way to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the G-Class. It will be a limited production that will go on sale in Europe and Asia around September of next year. It will probably be the most powerful SUV in the world. A little birdie told me that AMG is hoping to have a 0-60 time faster than the Cayenne Turbo. A little known fact is that the Cayenne Turbo weighs about the same as a G55.

Ted Baldwin

.........Thanks for your informative response. I waited to digest all the available info before embarking on my G55 purchase. I would have liked to wait for the V8K G55, but I am not sure it will make it to the US market. Other than that, I don't think that MB will be building an SUV quite like the G in the future. AT least not for the US market. The link you provided sheds more light to the fact that the future MLG fusion will likely be a more sedate SUV than the G. If the V8K G-class makes its way to the US market, that will be one hell of a ride.


Ted

locomocion

Would it make any sence to introduce a vehicle to the US market for two years and than abandon it. Although the vehicle will never be popular because of the price, it can always be sold as an exotic.

gup998

Another question to ask the MB dealer nearby

Ted Baldwin

...........spoke with Atlanta Classic cars. According to them, there will definitely be a V8K G55 for 2005. In addition, they confirmed
that MB plans on doing "something" with the W463, but it has not been finalized. One plan is to stop production of the W463 as you stated and replace it with an SUV that borrows from the M-class as well as the G-class platform. There is a growing niche market for the W463 in USA, so there are alternate plans to continue the G-series totally separate from the M-class but move production from Austria to Alabama, USA.


Ted