All-electric Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon: Why the G580 is one of the most convincing electric off-roaders so far

Expectations are high when you electrify a cult icon of almost 50 years. So it was almost with trepidation that I got behind the wheel of the first-ever, all-electric G-Wagon.

But I won’t bury the lead – we’re happy to report that the badassery G-Wagons are known and loved for hasn’t been diluted on the all-new Mercedes-Benz G580.

Officially, it’s called the ‘G580 with EQ Technology’. For the uninitiated, the ‘G’ in G-Wagon – or G-Wagen, in its native tongue – stands for ‘Gelandewagen’, German for ‘cross-country vehicle’ or ‘all-terrain vehicle’, originally developed as a military and utility vehicle.

For now, the G580 is in a class of its own – at least until Range Rover gets its first emissions-free off-roader off the production line. That’s expected sometime this year, later than initially planned, with electrified versions of the Land Rover Defender and Jeep Rubicon also slated to arrive in 2026.

But as the Rover fraternity grows plusher in feels, purists wistful of the all-terrain utility vehicles of yore might find themselves gravitating more towards the G580. Design-wise, at least.

The G580 feels closer in ruggedness to the Defender and the Jeep, only boxier – and that’s what we love about it. Its retro-leaning aesthetic retains the signature cubic profile of modern G-Wagons while Rover rivals have drifted towards softer silhouettes more aligned with the luxury proposition.

That’s not to say that the G580 is not luxurious. You still feel ensconced in cushy environs with a handsome cabin clad in top-grade materials and textures while a large 12.3-inch touchscreen in the central cockpit tethers you to the digital world. Visuals are crisp and clear, connectivity is good, and Mercedes’ proprietary MBUX infotainment system is loaded with all the necessary ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and other intelligent tech at your disposal. You also get wireless charging for your mobile devices up front.

All this, while you still feel like a baddie navigating the city in an impenetrable fortress – ideally with the 18-speaker Burmester 3D system delivering Dolby Atmos. And the best bit? The cockpit retains enough knobbly bits to give you those analogue feels that are so in vogue right now.

NO FRUNK, NO SPARE, NO GROWL

The commanding driving position lets you lord over other vehicles from 1.986m-high and the vehicle feels dense and solid. It stretches 4,624mm in length – shorter than a Range Rover, and even shorter than a BMW 3 Series. Which makes its imposing, Herculean presence feel like an optical illusion.

Most astonishing, however, is how light it feels behind the wheel. It’s a joy to drive this urban tank and it’s certainly much nimbler than you would expect of a 3,085kg beast that’s clearly not designed for superlative aerodynamics.

Suffice to say, the G580’s performance really surprises you. It’ll hit 0–100km/h in 4.7 seconds, besting ‘regular’ petrol G-Wagons – read: non-AMG Line – by a lick.

There are several drive modes, with Comfort delivering the most relaxed experience – the kind of quiet competence that’s synonymous with quiet luxury. Smooth, unruffled, serene. In short, it’s the most mechanical-feeling EV we’ve driven so far – and that’s a good thing.

What Mercedes has skipped on the G580, however, is an Eco mode. A curious choice, but completely understandable given that the sheer mass of this monstrosity renders one as pointless as a white crayon to ivory paper.

There are a few more oddities. You won’t find a frunk under the engineless bonnet, and the tyre box on the rear door doesn’t house a spare. Pop open the “fake” tyre box and you’ll find a space carved out for charging cables and other essentials. That said, the tyre-shaped void is still roomy enough to fit a spare if you really want to.

At 620 litres, boot space is modest for an off-roader, with more height than width or depth. Still, it’s decent enough for cityslickers swanning about in a utility vehicle that will probably never touch mud.

And speaking of its enginelessness, there’s no throaty rumble to match that long-travel throttle. Instead, Mercedes has developed an artificial ‘G-Roar’, produced by a soundbar under the bonnet and designed to emulate that delicious V8 growl.

While not as mouth-watering as the real thing, it thankfully doesn’t induce the same sort of eye-roll theatrics often triggered by the more synthetic-sounding ones you get with lesser electric automobiles in the mid-luxury tier. Better still, the G-Roar can be switched off.

All in all, the G580 feels like a G-Wagon that just happens to be electric, rather than an EV shaped like one. And that makes all the difference.

SPINNING AROUND

With the G580, Mercedes has trotted out a new feature – ‘G-Turn’. It enables the car to spin 360 degrees on the spot – yup, like that scene from the original Exorcist movie, only automotive.

Technically, here’s how it works. Four electric motors power each wheel independently, and each motor is paired with a reduction (low-range) gearset. Combined, the quad-motor setup produces 587hp and 1,164Nm of torque, with up to 491km of range.

Pairing each motor with individual gearboxes means that both millimetric control and earthmover levels of torque vectoring move so fast that it rarely spins a wheel, thus rendering the need for traditional differential locks obsolete.

For non-automotive geeks, this translates to near-infinite control of vehicle dynamics, allowing the two motors on one side to drive in the opposite direction to the motors on the other and, et voila, the car can perform donuts in-place, as if possessed by the unbridled power of a malevolent spirit or two.

You can activate this feature only on loose or unpaved ground surfaces, and all it takes is a push of a button. To get your G580 spinning circles around the competition, select ‘Rock mode’ in low-range off-road gear, put the car in Neutral, and press the dedicated G-Turn button located on the dashboard. To execute the “tank turn”, hold down either the left or right paddle on the steering wheel for the direction you wish to turn, then step on the throttle firmly to initiate. To stop, release the paddle or accelerator. For obvious safety reasons, the doors must be closed for it to work.

The car will only be able to spin twice upon each activation: A maximum of 720-degree rotations to keep Max Verstappen wannabes from performing unlimited donuts – because even though the G580 won’t pollute the planet with emissions, excessively and unnecessarily burning rubber will.

What’s more, it’s illegal to perform G-Turns on public roads – and even in carparks – in Singapore, and in many places elsewhere. And while it makes for a cool party trick, it comes at a hefty cost to your tyres. So what’s the point?

It’s designed for off-roading, and its 13.6m turning circle makes navigating gnarly, tight trails a cinch. Still, this is a high-end G-Class – we don’t imagine even hardcore gearheads will be taking it deep into the tropical jungles up north.

But if they really, really wanted to, there’s another new feature – the ‘G-Steer’ – which works a little like G-Turn, except it reverses the inside rear wheel while driving the outside. Huh?

One more time: Instead of spinning around a central point like with the G-Turn, you drive around the back wheel, reversing in the direction you want to turn at slow speeds (or off-road) so you get a very neat pivot around a back wheel. Imagine being able to brake each wheel individually – it’s clean, and brilliant for manoeuvring super-tight trails off-road.

There are two main off-roading modes: ‘Trail’ and ‘Rock’. Trudge through mud and wade comfortably up to the rear wheel arches in the former, and creep over craggy terrain in the latter. All while maintaining consummate poise, calm and class, of course. So yes, this fully electric G-Class model is still a true off-roader that will kind of blow your mind.

Which is all well and good, but our crystal ball suggests the more likely use case is negotiating tight spaces like in certain five-star hotel carparks here in Singapore. Where owning a G-Wagon is more a statement of taste and style. And the electric version? Even more so, with the soul of a beloved icon proudly intact.