Mercedes G-Class Generations, Specs and Best Versions to Buy

A guide to mercedes g class generations from 1979 to present: power ranges, gearboxes, notable versions per generation, and four data-backed picks for buyers.

The Mercedes G-Class is a 5-door SUV built from 1979 to the present, with outputs spanning 72 to 587 hp across its history. Anyone comparing mercedes g class specs will find everything from 72-hp early workhorses to a 587-hp electric flagship — it suits buyers who want permanent 4x4 in any era, from bare-bones classics to modern high-power versions. Every notable version in the data, from the first 1979 cars to the current lineup, drives all four wheels; the differences between eras come down to body style, gearbox availability and the steady climb in power.

Mercedes G-Class generations

A look at mercedes g class generations shows one long-lived platform refined in many steps rather than replaced often. The first generation lasted from 1979 to 1991, the second stretched across seven restylings from 1989 all the way to 2018, and the third arrived in 2018 with its own restyling in 2024. Questions about mercedes g class reliability are best answered per stage, since engines and bodies changed repeatedly along the way.

1 generation (1979–1991)

The first generation ran from 1979 to 1991 as a 3-door SUV with 72–184 hp and a very broad lineup of 83 modifications, offered with both Manual and Automatic gearboxes and 4x4 drive. The most common version was the 2.0 MT5 with 109 hp and a 1997 cc petrol engine paired with a 5-speed manual. The strongest was the 3.0 AT diesel with 184 hp from 3000 cc — a diesel topping the range is a distinctive trait of this era. The 2.5 MT diesel with 92 hp and a 2497 cc engine returned 11.0 l/100km and was the economical choice, while the latest addition to the lineup was the 3.0 AT diesel with 88 hp from a 2998 cc engine. With 83 modifications, this generation offered by far the widest choice of any G-Class era in the data.

2 generation (1989–1994)

The second generation (1989–1994) kept the 3-door SUV body and widened the power range to 94–296 hp across 44 modifications. The mass version was the 3.0 MT with 170 hp from a 2960 cc engine, reaching 100 km/h in 13.5 s at 17.7 l/100km. The top 5.0 AT made 296 hp from 4966 cc and hit 100 km/h in 7.3 s while using 16.7 l/100km. The 2.9 MT diesel (120 hp, 2874 cc) was the frugal option at 10.7 l/100km, though it needed 17.0 s to reach 100 km/h. The newest engine of the stage was the 4.0 AT diesel with 250 hp from 3996 cc, good for 9.9 s to 100 km/h at 12.8 l/100km. Both Manual and Automatic transmissions were available, always with 4x4, and this was the last stage in the data to offer a manual at all.

2 generation, restyling (1995–1999)

The 1995–1999 restyling switched to an SUV cabriolet body, automatic-only, with 215–388 hp across 10 modifications. The 5.0 AT (296 hp, 4966 cc, 10.2 s to 100 km/h, 16.7 l/100km) was the volume version, and a fresher 1995–1999 variant of the same 296-hp engine improved the sprint to 9.7 s. The 5.5 AT with a 5461 cc engine and 388 hp accelerated in 5.9 s at 14.7 l/100km. The 3.0 AT diesel (224 hp, 2987 cc) was the economical choice at 11.0 l/100km with a 9.1 s sprint.

2 generation, restyling 2 (1998–2002)

This 1998–2002 update kept the SUV cabriolet body and automatic gearbox, with 183–388 hp across 8 modifications. The 3.0 AT diesel (224 hp, 2987 cc, 11.0 l/100km) was the most common version, and in its quicker form the same 224-hp diesel reached 100 km/h in 8.8 s. The 5.5 AT delivered 388 hp from 5461 cc, 6.1 s to 100 km/h and 14.7 l/100km — slightly slower than the 5.9 s of the preceding restyling despite identical power.

2 generation, restyling 3 (2002–2006)

Built 2002–2006 as an SUV cabriolet with 183–388 hp and 5 modifications, all automatic. The G500 5.0 AT (296 hp, 4966 cc, 10.2 s, 16.7 l/100km) was the mass version. The 5.5 AT (388 hp, 5461 cc) managed 5.9 s to 100 km/h at 14.9 l/100km, and the 3.0 AT diesel dropped slightly to 211 hp here, consuming 11.2 l/100km with a 9.1 s sprint.

2 generation, restyling 4 (2006–2008)

The 2006–2008 stage returned to a 3-door SUV body with 245–422 hp across 4 automatic modifications. The G500 4.0 AT led the range with 422 hp from a 3982 cc engine, 5.9 s to 100 km/h and 12.3 l/100km; a second variant of the same 422-hp engine posted 7.4 s. The G350d 3.0 AT diesel (245 hp, 2987 cc) was both the frugal option at 9.9 l/100km and the newest engine of the stage, with an 8.8 s sprint — the strongest diesel of the second generation so far.

2 generation, restyling 5 (2008–2012)

From 2008 to 2012 the SUV cabriolet body carried 224–388 hp engines across 6 automatic modifications. The G500 5.5 AT (388 hp, 5461 cc) was the volume version at 14.7 l/100km, offered in 6.1 s and 5.9 s forms. The G350d 3.0 AT diesel returned to 224 hp, using 11.0 l/100km in its economical form (9.1 s) and 11.2 l/100km in the fresher 8.8 s variant.

2 generation, restyling 6 (2012–2016)

The 2012–2016 restyling offered an SUV cabriolet with 211–388 hp and just 3 automatic modifications. The G500 5.5 AT Cabrio (388 hp, 5461 cc) reached 100 km/h in 5.9 s at 14.9 l/100km, while the closed G500 5.5 AT with the same power needed 6.1 s. The G350 3.0 AT diesel (211 hp, 2987 cc) returned 11.2 l/100km with a 9.1 s sprint.

2 generation, restyling 7 (2015–2018)

The final stage of the second generation (2015–2018) moved to a 5-door SUV body with only 2 automatic modifications spanning 245–422 hp: the G500 4.0 AT (422 hp, 3982 cc, 5.9 s, 12.3 l/100km) as the mass version and the G350d 3.0 AT diesel (245 hp, 2987 cc, 9.1 s, 9.9 l/100km) as the economical one. This was the stage that established the 5-door body carried into the third generation.

3 generation (2018–2024)

The third generation (2018–2024) is a 5-door SUV with 249–422 hp across 4 automatic modifications. The G400d 2.9 AT diesel (330 hp, 2925 cc, 6.4 s, 9.6 l/100km) was the mass version — notably quicker and thirstier-in-name-only than any earlier diesel in the data. The G500 4.0 AT made 422 hp from 3982 cc and hit 100 km/h in 5.9 s at 12.1 l/100km, marginally better on fuel than the same engine in the 2015–2018 cars.

3 generation, restyling (2024–present)

The current restyling (2024–present) keeps the 5-door SUV body with 367–587 hp across 4 automatic modifications — the highest floor of any stage, since even the base output of 367 hp exceeds most historical flagships. The G550 3.0 AT (463 hp, 2999 cc) sprints to 100 km/h in 5.4 s, the quickest figure in the data. The electric G580EQ tops the range with 587 hp and a 5.8 s sprint, the first electric G-Class listed. The G450d 3.0 AT diesel (367 hp, 2989 cc) matches that 5.8 s while using 9.3 l/100km.

Which Mercedes G-Class to buy

For a used purchase, the second generation's long 1989–2018 run means many stages share engines like the 2987 cc diesel and 5461 cc petrol, so later restylings (2006 onward) offer familiar mechanicals with newer build dates. The 2015–2018 restyling 7 is the simplest late second-generation choice, with only 2 modifications to compare, while the 2018–2024 third generation adds the 2925 cc G400d diesel that pairs a 6.4 s sprint with 9.6 l/100km — numbers no second-generation diesel matches.