After thinking about it for a year, Mercedes-Benz took the decision to bring their rugged G550 4×4² to the States, starting from early 2017.
They haven’t announced pricing for the US market yet, but over in Europe, where it’s sold as the G500 4×4², it costs €125,000 more than the plain G500 and €44,000 less than the G65 AMG, so given that the respective prices of those two models here in the States stand at $119,900 and $217,000, it should carry an MSRP of under $200,000.
A shorter cousin of the beastly G63 AMG 6×6 (never officially sold in North America) with two less wheels, Mercedes claims that the 4×4² “is the most capable G-Class ever”, thanks to the innovative portal axles that allow for axle input and the wheel center to be two drastically different heights, the three locking differentials and a ground clearance of more than 17-inches (+430mm).
It’s debatable whether buyers who fork out $200k will ever truly take advantage of the G550 4×42 off-road skills, including the ability to move forward even if only a single wheel is able to gain traction, or if it will merely tackle valet parking lots and high-end restaurant curbs.
For power, the G550 4×42 borrows the new G550’s a 4.0-liter Biturbo V8 kicking out 416hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, paired to 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission.
Some of the additional features over the G550 include the side-underbody exhaust pipes, the widened tracks and wheel arches on all four corners, and 22-inch wheels.
Note: European model shown
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