Despite is sheer size, the G580 is one nifty customer. picture: Jaco van der Merwe
The 2024 Paris Olympics will always be remembered for the glorious failure of Australian breakdancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn. The spectacular party trick on offer in the new Mercedes-Benz G580 is a painful reminder for the disgraced Aussie that even a car can be more gracious than her on the dancefloor.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) on Tuesday gave the local media a glimpse of the first-ever all-electric G-Wagon. And this includes the unique feature of the SUV being able to turn around 360 degrees in one spot.
“Its a nifty little party trick, but a very functional feature,” says Clinton Weston, leading instructor AMG Driving Experience.
“When you fins yourself in a very tight situation in rough conditions, this feature can help you find another way out. It’s incredible how the car can achieve this through brake pressure.”
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Weston explains that the procedure is as easy as pie and requires only the activation of the “G-turn” button on the steering wheel, holding down the paddle shifters on the steering wheel and applying pressure on the accelerator.
Last year MBSA showcased a feature called Free Driving Assist in the Mercedes-Maybach GLS600. Popularly known as “Bounce Mode”, this feature was designed to help the get unstuck in sand. It utilises the standard air suspension to literally bounce the car up and down.
“The G-Wagon can’t do that. Only one party trick per car,” joked Weston.
The Mercedes-Benz G580’s features four electric motors hooked up to a 116-kWh battery pack. The total system output totals 432kW of power and 1 164Nm, making it the torquiest G-Wagon yet. Even though it measures just over three tons, Mercedes claims it will sprint from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds.
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The SUV has a claimed range of up to 473km. It supports 200kW DC charging which can provide a range of 170km in just 15 seconds.
The Mercedes-Benz G580 has a sticker of R4 647 456.
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