The Mercedes G-Class Professional Line adds awesome off-road goodies

September 11, 2021

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This package won’t come to the US, but we love it anyway.

The current Mercedes-Benz G-Class gets a lot of criticism levied at it for being too luxurious and on-road-focused, losing the simple off-road spirit of the original military models. To assuage some of those naysayers Mercedes is introducing a new Professional Line Exterior package for the G-wagen in Europe that adds a lot of rugged design details to the venerated model.

This isn’t the first time the G-wagen has gotten a Professional trim level. It was available in the final few years of the previous generation, and the formula here is pretty much the same. The new Professional gets 18-inch wheels with Falken Wildpeak All-Terrain tires, stone guards for the headlights, large mud flaps, a roof rack with an integrated ladder and mounting for a rooftop tent, simpler side protector strips and a more serious-looking spare tire carrier that leaves the tire itself exposed. But unlike the old Professional model, which gave the G-Class a much simpler interior without features like an infotainment system, the new Professional Line retains the same luxe interior as the regular G-wagen.

I got to check out the Professional in person at the Munich Auto Show this week, and while the off-road look isn’t typically my thing — I prefer my G-wagens to have big wheels and flashy trim — I have to admit that it looks rad. The one on display also featured a lot of options from Mercedes’ G Manufaktur catalog, like the awesome matte copper orange paint with contrasting matte black elements, the blacked-out exterior trim package and a tow hitch.

While a spokesperson for Mercedes USA confirmed to us that the Professional won’t make its way to our shores, the 2022 G-wagen is getting a few other upgrades that we’re more likely to see. There will also be an Exclusive Line Exterior package, though we don’t yet know what that will involve, a retooled AMG Line package and three new “Interior World” themes. The 2022 G also gets more standard features in Europe like tinted rear glass, prewiring for rear-seat entertainment and 64-color ambient interior lighting, the last of which is sure to come to the US.

Pricing for the Professional Line hasn’t been announced, but expect it to cost around the equivalent of $5,000. If you really want something similar in America, the AMG G63 is available with a Trail Package that adds legit off-road gear, too. Here’s hoping a similar package will be offered on the upcoming fully electric EQG, too.