The top end of the SUV market in Canada is about to get lifted in a significant way with the arrival of the G-Class model from Mercedes-Benz.
Plans call for Mercedes-Benz Canada to import maybe 100 of the V8-powered vehicles G500s (which are called Gelaendewagens in Europe and hand-built in Graz, Austria) and all of them will have stickers in the $110,000 to $115,000 range.
The G500 is about four inches longer than the Alabama-built M-Class model, Mercedes says, which makes it a "compact" SUV in their eyes. Their eyes also see it as "a no-compromise off-roader with a cliff-climbing, stump-pulling personality."
Your eyes are likely to see the military roots in the G-Wagen's shape, since it was originally meant for service with various European armies.
A G500 can climb an 80 percent grade, Mercedes brags, and "it's even stable on lateral slopes up to 54 percent."
The German firm wants a piece of the growing high-end luxury SUV market, which already includes the Range Rover 4.6 HSE and the Lexus LX470, and maybe the V8 BMW X5 and the AM Hummer, which was of course also designed for army use.
G-Class buyers are "likely to be people who can afford to buy a vehicle just for recreation but require that it be practical as well. They're also likely to be very self-confident and proud of their individuality."
Standard equipment on the gutsy G500 includes a full leather interior with burl walnut trim and a wood-leather steering wheel. The G500 also comes with power windows, 10-way electrically adjustable front seats with memory, front and rear heated seats, cruise control, central door locks, and automatic climate control.