Mercedes-Benz G550 4×4² Production Comes to an End

Over the years, there have been very few trucks or SUVs that have redefined their segment the way the Mercedes-Benz G550 4×4² did in 2017. Admittedly, it’s a small niche within the SUV market, but when you consider that Mercedes accomplished this feat with an outdated 40-year old truck, it’s astonishing. And I’m just referring to the media hysteria, demand for the vehicle, and redefining what type of outrageous vehicles auto manufacturers can successfully create and sell. Now, consider at a $227,300 base price, the G550 4×4² costs almost double what a standard Mercedes G550 costs, that pre-owned vehicles are being offered $30,000 over MSRP, and BRABUS versions of the vehicle are being offered close to $400,000.

German auto manufacturers are not normally considered to be eccentric, creating sensible cars for business people and accountants. But, in 2015, Mercedes listened to positive public reaction to one of their concept vehicles and created a 7 foot wide behemoth that they called the G550 4×4².

Sadly, now they have announced that they are ending the production run of this over-the-top 4×4. Some customers may cancel their reservation as the trucks hit U.S. ports, so you may have a chance to purchase one new, but October 2017 was the last chance you had to order this enigma on wheels. The good news is, GwagenParts.com has everything you need to emulate the G550 4×4².

The Build button is no longer an option.

The G550 4×4² is essentially a full scale Hot Wheels truck. The specs read like a Hot Wheels truck too, with 416 bhp and 450 lb ft of torque from a twin turbocharged 4.0 litre V8. With side exit exhaust tips and a throaty sound, this truck is truly intimidating on the road. Power is transmitted from the motor to the wheels via a 7 speed transmission and ginormous 22” wheels fitted with Pirelli Scorpion All terrain tires.

That may not sound all that extraordinary, but the G550 4×4² was built as a complete off-road beast, with three diff lockers, a low range gearbox for rock crawling and military-spec portal axles. Portal axles, for those that don’t know, offset the drive from the end of the axle to the hub via gears. The result is a massive 17 inches of ground clearance! For reference, the Jeep Wrangler only has 9 inches. The underside is clad in protective stainless steel plating to fend off rocks. And, of course, it has a large LED light bar for night time adventures. The G550 4×4² will happily wade through 3 feet deep water and climb 50 degree slopes with ease. Incredible for a stock vehicle off the showroom floor.

At each wheel, Mercedes installed 2 shock absorbers. One has conventional damping characteristics for road use, and the other is electronically adjustable, with a sporting mode.

The body, in our opinion, is fabulous. The Geländewagen (“cross country vehicle”), or G-Wagen was famously designed using wood, not clay, due to its blocky shape. The G550 4×4² carries on with the now-decades-old design. Paint options include luminescent yellow metallic paint, described as “high- gloss electricbeam,” with carbon fiber extended wheel arches. It’s bonkers! Yet it just looks right.

Motoring journalists that drove this truck were scrambling for words (mostly favourable) to describe a vehicle that they wanted to hate for its impracticality, cartoonish look, and challenging ingress/egress, but after driving it, it’s hard not to fall in love with beauty of this beast. Journalists tried to draw comparisons, but how do you compare this monster to anything in the luxury SUV market? The Range Rover Vogue is extremely capable off-road, but I can’t say it’s comparable. The Land Rover Defender might be comparable…if outfitted with a portal axle conversion, KAHN Widebody package, and KAHN Interior. Maybe the 2019 Land Rover Defender will be a competitor?

At a time when manufacturers are rolling out smaller and lighter SUVs like the BMW X1, and even with Bentley, Lamborghini, and Maserati jumping into the SUV market, it’s hard to fathom the G550 4×4²’s success. Nothing about it makes any sense. But maybe that’s what we love about it. This truck broke the mold. With Mercedes-Benz launching an all-new G-class for 2019, maybe we’ll see a G550 4×4² 2.0?