Mercedes G-Class experience at Graz: G Wiz
Nothing screams ‘military roots’ than having your own hangar at a former military airport. Welcome to the G-Class Experience Centre in Graz, Austria. Located at the Graz International Airport, the experience centre occupies a few aircraft hangars and 1,00,000 square metres of purpose-built terrain designed to push the G-Class to its limits. So, forest trails, 45-degree rocky slopes, 35-degree muddy side inclines, 850mm deep water trenches; it’s all here to be experienced. You’re guided by the facility’s brilliant instructors in a bevy of Gs, from the diesels and AMGs to the electrics.
Our day began with the electric G-Class or ‘G 580 with EQ Technology’. Yes, that is its name. Given the immense 1,164Nm of torque from its four electric motors, the set of 40-degree-plus slopes was a non-event. With the car in D+ mode (no brake recuperation and free coasting), it’s possible to climb the concrete and mud slopes with just ‘idle’ torque and no throttle input, although I did use some to speed things up slightly. Hill-descent control also worked like a charm, bringing this over-3-tonne SUV down a boulder-strewn slope in a controlled but bouncy manner. And just for fun, I’m instructed to drive right up to a wall and use ‘G-steer’, which locks the inside rear wheel, allowing for a tight pivoted turn over a loose surface.
Next up, the forest trails with the diesel G-Class. Axle articulation, side slope inclines and water wading are a lot more fun with an internal combustion motor, given you have more to play around with. Getting through water, it’s important to keep a steady pace with the revs up to create a bow wave in front of the car. But then, the instructors ask us to stop dead in the middle of the pond, and the G-Class idles without a fuss. You can even hear the burble of the exhaust pushing out just under the waterline.
Axle twisters finally called for the use of the three iconic differential lock buttons. Locking the centre diff ensures a fixed 50:50 front-rear power split, but if one wheel gets bogged down and the other is up in the air, the axle diffs send all the power to the wheel up in the air, spinning it helplessly. That’s when you have to lock the axle diffs too; in sequence – rear first and then the front if required. I have to say, getting through the twisters is fun with the diesel, as there’s a bit more to do to control wheelspin than with the electric.
Over the course of the day, the only thing that got me a bit worried was the side slopes; the max listed angle is 35 degrees, and at points, some cars ended up tilted to 36 degrees. But even then, it felt remarkably stable, evident by the fact that the instructors would pull down on the roof rails for a laugh.
Next up was the AMG G 63, and naturally, with a 585hp V8 and 20hp more from the mild-hybrid system, 0-100kph launches were the order of the day. 4.4 seconds is the claimed time, and it’s ridiculous watching this over-2-tonne brick accelerate that quickly. Even getting it into launch mode is dramatic, with the car squatting at the rear like it is poised to leap ahead.
While this massive SUV is supercar quick, it doesn’t stop as quickly as one, though it’s still impressive given its bulk. Even through the slalom and the emergency lane change and braking manoeuvre, the car is well managed, and it’s clear electronics are at work keeping this SUV level and out of trouble. Also playing a very big part is the suspension hardware. The new-gen G has an independent front setup and active dampers all around.
Winding up the day was a set of passenger ride experiences, which, after you’ve driven the entire course, might not sound like fun. Except, while you drive with the old off-road adage ‘as slow as possible, as fast as necessary’ in mind, the instructors tackle it rally style. Watching the G-Class climb, descend, leap and drift at speed is insane. So yes, even passenger rides are tremendous fun. Fun that anyone can experience, as the courses are open to the public. What’s also neat is the G-Class Experience Centre has expanded the driving experience to include a desert edition in Morocco, and this one’s a five-day expedition. Casablanca, here we come.
Where does the G moniker come from?
The G moniker came about from the word Geländewagen, which in German means ‘off-road vehicle’. The SUV was thus known as the G-Wagen for short, or colloquially called the G-Wagon. In the early ’90s, however, it was renamed the G-Class to align with Mercedes’ corporate naming structure. The military version was also known as the Wolf, and in some markets, the G-Wagen was also sold as the Puch G.
Deeply rooted
the G-Class experience centre’s location in a relatively unknown town might seem a bit random, but the G-Wagen’s history has been tied to Graz since its birth in 1979. Originally conceived as a military vehicle, it was developed jointly by Mercedes and Austria-based Steyr-Daimler-Puch. The first G model was built at the Austrian firm’s facility in Graz, and till date, every single G-Class has been built at the very same plant and on the very same line too. The facility has expanded and been updated to keep up with the times, but most of the assembly operation is still done by hand. The nearby Schockl mountain is also where Mercedes tests and develops the G-Wagen on its Schockl test track, a challenging off-road trail that peaks at the mountain’s summit.
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