Showing posts with label off-road. Show all posts

SPY: A fleet of 2013 GL-Class prototypes returns to base after offroad testing

By | Published Saturday, 25 February 2012

In April, Mercedes-Benz will introduce the new GL-Class (X 166) to public and media at the New York Auto Show. The last phase of development undergoes undeterred as a fleet of test prototypes has been recently spotted on the outskirts of Stuttgart. The black camouflage has come off, so more details of the massive SUV are now becoming visible, like the headlights, beefy grille and bumpers and the elegantly designed LED tail lamps. Most probably, given the mud that's accumulated on the wheels and sides of the body, the snagged GLs were returning to the R&D Centre from a series of offroad trials custom-made to evaluate the potential skills of this new SUV generation.

Check out more spy shots after the jump!












Image Credits: Motor Authority

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Mercedes-Benz Unimog receives "Off-road Vehicle of the Year 2012" award

By | Published Monday, 13 February 2012

For the eighth time in succession, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been chosen as the best cross-country vehicle of the year by the readers of the trade magazine "Off-Road" in the category "special vehicles". The award "Off-road Vehicle of the Year 2012 – special vehicles category" was based on the votes given to the cross-country vehicles in the eight categories of the competition run by the old-established Munich magazine for off-road vehicles. The off-road obelisk was presented in a ceremonial atmosphere at a gala evening in Munich's theatre tent "Das Schloss". More than 57,000 votes were handed in by 16 January and there were 143 vehicles from 40 manufacturers to choose from. In the category for special vehicles, the Unimog took first place with an outstanding 34,3 % of the readers' votes.


The following categories were available: "off-road vehicles", "luxury off-road vehicles", "sports utility vehicles (SUV)", "luxury SUV", "classics", "pick-ups", "special vehicles" and "crossover vehicles". Among the special vehicles entered – i.e. off-road vehicles designed to transport goods and loads to remote areas, or also to be used as the basis for special bodies for fire-fighting, expedition and military vehicles – the Unimog was clearly more than one step ahead. Particular praise was given to its characteristic product features such as its outstanding off-road mobility due to portal axles and extreme torsional flexibility combined with its extreme toughness and stability.

Where the Unimog gets through, others don't even arrive

The outstandingly mobile off-road Unimog product range U 4000/U 5000 has been produced in Wörth since 2002 as a special vehicle for complicated jobs in remote areas only accessible over difficult terrain with no roads or tracks. It is mainly used by fire services – in particular for fighting forest fires – as well as for disaster control, expeditions and servicing and maintenance work in hard to reach areas – with the slogan "Where the Unimog gets through, others don't even arrive".

As a result, Unimog models U 4000 and U 5000 are the ideal supplement to vehicles in product ranges U 300 to U 500 which are off-road implement carriers mainly found working for public services, municipal contractors, the construction and energy industries as well as for in-plant transport and road-rail operations. The youngest member of the Unimog family is the compact Unimog U 20 which was launched in 2008.
"Off-Road" magazine has been giving its readers the opportunity to vote for their off-road vehicle of the year since 1982.

60 Years of Mercedes-Benz Unimog – the success of an idea

Sixty-one years ago, on 3 June 1951 to be exact, the first Mercedes-Benz Unimog rolled off the line in Gaggenau. A unique vehicle concept had been created with great off-road mobility due to its four-wheel drive and fast driving features for road use.
Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Multiple awards for Mercedes-Benz in the "Off Road" reader survey: Peak performance by the G-Class

By | Published Friday, 10 February 2012

After almost 33 years of unbroken production, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class remains unparalleled. This was the opinion of the "Off Road" magazine readers, who voted the G-Class "Off-roader of the year 2012" in two categories – making it a repeat of last year's success for the off-road legend. The G-Class eased to victory in the "Luxury off-roader" category and defended its top spot in the "Classic" category. The new M‑Class, eligible for the first time having been unveiled just last year, achieved second place in the "Luxury SUV" and "Newcomer" categories.


The Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been a permanent fixture in Mercedes-Benz's model line-up since as far back as 1979 and remains an off-roader par excellence. Its special position as an off-road icon is down to its continuous and systematic further development by Mercedes-Benz over a period spanning more than three decades. Hence the latest-generation G-Class features an impressive mix of state-of-the-art drive technology and high-calibre interior appointments whilst also maintaining its highly valued, hallmark attributes such as extreme robustness and outstanding off-road capability. This is already the ninth time it has won the "Off Road" magazine reader survey, giving it the title "Off-roader of the year" once more.

The "G" family currently has three body variants: short-wheelbase Station Wagon, long-wheelbase Station Wagon and Convertible, which can be combined with either a particularly environmentally-friendly V6 diesel engine featuring BlueTEC technology and with an output of 155 kW (210 hp) and 540 Nm of torque, or a powerful 5.5-litre V8 petrol engine developing 285 kW (388 hp) with a torque of 530 Nm. The flagship G 55 AMG model – available only as a four-door, long-wheelbase Station Wagon – is powered by a V8 supercharged engine developing 373 kW (507 hp) with an impressive peak torque of 700 Nm.

The superstar among off-roaders uses high-performance drive technology and dynamic handling control systems to deliver outstanding on-road and off-road performance. Standard equipment includes permanent all-wheel drive with a low-range ratio, the electronically controlled traction system 4ETS, three differential locks that can be engaged at the push of a button and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission.

The G-Class Professional model, which won the award in the "Classic" category, is a pared-down utility version with the emphasis firmly on robustness and reliability. It is aimed at extreme professional applications such as rescue services, although private customers also choose this particular classic for tough off-road use.
The new awards are in addition to the almost countless accolades the legendary Mercedes-Benz off-roader has already received, underlining the position of the G-Class as one of the most popular and highly-decorated models on the off-roader scene.

Although the third-generation Mercedes-Benz M-Class was not delivered to its first customers until late autumn last year, it still managed to achieve second place in the "Luxury SUV" and "Newcomer" categories in the latest "Off Road" magazine reader survey. The M-Class impresses with outstanding energy efficiency: on average, the new models consume 25 percent less fuel than their predecessors. The fuel-consumption champion is the ML 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC, with an NEDC figure of just 6.0 l/100 km (158 g CO2/km).

Further strengths of the premium SUV include exceptional safety and well-balanced ride comfort as well as excellent driving dynamics both on and off the road. What is more, the ML features permanent all-wheel drive, an array of new chassis developments and innovative dynamic handling control systems which further enhance both driving enjoyment and handling safety.
Credits: Daimler AG

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