The electric version of Mercedes' off-roader is an improvement in almost every way, with more power, more off-road capability and a way better driving experience than its gas-chugging twin. But as its clunky name suggests, the G580 With EQ Technology is still a compromise. It builds upon everything that was already great about the G, and it adds even more off-road capability, but its brick-like shape and high curb weight make it a bad road-trip companion.
It's still the best G-Wagen you can buy right now, even if it's not as fast as the V8-powered AMG version. It's a perfect encapsulation of why the EV experience is so great—especially when you get a motor for each wheel—even if it also has familiar EV weaknesses.
Electric Evolution: The G580’s Bold New Direction
The Mercedes G-Class’ boxy, upright body is one of the most recognizable sights on the road. It can’t be mistaken for anything else. That’s why Mercedes was careful to retain the signature look when it created the first electric version, the G580 With EQ Technology. Whether that mouthful is better than the initial plan of calling it the EQG is up for debate, but it’s pretty clear that Mercedes was wary of changing any part of this global icon, even its name.
That’s why there are only subtle touches to differentiate the electron-sipping G from the gas-guzzler. Even though it comes with a closed-off grille and a box to hold the charging cable instead of a spare wheel holder, you can tick the option boxes to get a regular-looking grille and an actual fifth wheel on the back. Mercedes has also worked very hard to keep the familiar driving experience the same, even without a big combustion engine up front.
The fake acceleration sound you hear in the cabin of the EV is aptly called “G-Roar” and it does a pretty good impression of what the V8-powered model sounds like. I tried driving the G with it turned off, but it genuinely felt like it was missing something, so I quickly re-enabled the roar and kept it on for the rest of my time with the G.
The exterior pedestrian alert sound is also a combustion engine-like rumble, although it’s not the same as inside the car, and a bit more futuristic-sounding.
Every time I got behind the wheel, what stood out was the feeling that you could conquer any obstacle, whether it was a tall curb, bollard or a parked car. Even on a smooth road, you can feel how capable the G580 is, and it bolsters the sense that it’s overkill just driving it to the shops or anywhere where serious off-road capability isn’t needed.
All the G-classes I see around the posh part of Bucharest are always shiny and spotless, often parked outside a fancy restaurant or guarding an impossibly expensive mansion. It’s the same everywhere I’ve traveled to, and if you ever see a G used off-road, it’s usually one from the 1990s that was bought as a workhorse and continues to be used like one.
Off-Road Overkill (That You'll Never Use)
Not taking a G-Class off-road is a shame, because it was already one of the most capable 4x4s ever made. Now, the electric G580 takes things up a notch.
With a motor for each wheel, each with its own mechanical low-range gear, the G580 gains new abilities that its gas-powered counterparts can’t match. It’s also very fast on the road, thanks to a combined 579 hp and 858 lb-ft (1,164 Nm). That hefty dollop of torque makes it feel quicker than its claimed 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) time of 4.6 suggests (independent tests also suggest it's a bit quicker than that), and it quickly powers up to its top speed of 112 mph (180 kph)
Because electric motors provide peak torque from a standstill, there's no real need for a low-range gearbox in most situations. But Mercedes included low-range gears anyway, because they multiply the electric motor's existing torque advantage, giving you more grunt to crawl up steep and slippery slopes. The G doesn’t have the traditional mechanical locking differentials you'd get on a gas one, but don't worry. The four-motor setup can provide similar functionality, keeping you moving as long as one wheel has purchase.
Once you’ve put it in low range, you gain access to two features you can’t get in any other G variant. The first is G-Turn, which is Mercedes speak for a tank turn, and which allows you to spin the vehicle around its axis on the spot. There’s an entire procedure that you need to go through to get it to work, but it does exactly what you expect, and it’s pretty cool to be inside while it’s doing this. It was the first time I experienced this in a vehicle, and it felt pretty special.
The more useful of the two is G-Steering, which allows you to take very tight turns on a loose surface. It’s sure to come in handy, say, when you encounter a hairpin on a forest track where space is limited and you can't cut the corner.
Using G-Steering successfully requires you to be quite brave with the steering and the right pedal, but after you do it a few times, it becomes predictable (and fun). With so much off-road tech, it’s a shame that very few of these will ever drive on anything more difficult than a dirt track.
The Daily Dilemma: Big, Heavy And A Bit Silly
That’s a lot of capability, weight and complexity that you’re paying for if you’ll only use your G580 as a road vehicle. Just get a normal Mercedes-Benz SUV, electric or otherwise, because it’s going to be a better road car and you’ll be using it to do what it was designed for. Something like the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV does regular car things better than the G.
Sure, the G makes you feel special and you sit even higher than in regular SUVs, but its height and weight come at a cost. Looking over the G580’s spec sheet, I was surprised to see it weighs more than 3,000 kilograms (6,600 pounds).
That means if you get five adults inside and their luggage, it will be over 3,500 kg (7,700 lbs), making it illegal to drive on European roads with a standard car license. That seems excessive to my puny European mind, although Americans may have less of a problem with the weight in a land of 9,000-pound GMC Hummer EVs and other jumbo-size trucks.
Being so tall, heavy and aerodynamically inefficient penalizes the G580 in an area of key importance for EVs: range. With 95% battery, my tester showed an estimated range of 195 miles (315 km), which is way off the claimed WLTP range of up to 293 miles (473 km). The 239-mile (384-km) rating is closer to reality, and you can probably achieve it in real-world driving with a light right foot.
With a 124-kilowatt-hour battery pack (with 116 kWh usable), that's actually pretty good. This may not be a long-range EV that you would happily pick for a road trip, but it claws back some EV usability points with its 200 kW peak charging rate. That is good for 10 to 80% in 34 minutes, but it’s still not what we'd call a long-distance champ.
Its average efficiency while I had the vehicle was around 2.1 miles/kWh (29 kWh/100 km), which is nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be with all the things working against it. Still, it's a lot less efficient than your average electric SUV.
A Glorious Misfit (And Why The Baby G Might Be The Real Genius)
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz G580 Review
Overall, I really liked the G580 With EQ Technology. As a technical achievement, it’s excellent, and it manages to marry old-world ruggedness with new-world tech and electric power better than any other current Mercedes. It’s also exceptional off-road and really quick and relaxed on-road. I can see why it’s so popular around the world.
However, I couldn’t help but feel silly driving a giant, nearly €200,000 ($226,000) EV around town finished in bright matte blue. It was all too conspicuous for my taste, but I understand this is part of the appeal for many buyers who feel comfortable standing out like that.
The electric powertrain is a great match for the G, given the kind of short trips that most of these vehicles go on. I would argue that it's not only a better off-roader than the gas-burning G, but it's also a better urban cruiser. Most owners will also have the ability to charge it at home, which they can do through the 11 kW onboard charger that will fully charge the battery from flat in around 12 and a half hours.
Maybe Mercedes is really on to something with its upcoming baby G class, which is expected to retain the style of the big-boy G but in a much more efficient, usable and affordable package that may make more practical sense. The baby G will lose the military-grade suspension and the ruggedness, but nobody was using Gs for that anyway, so it’s okay.
The baby G might just be the vehicle Mercedes needs right now as it tries to straddle its transition from traditional old-world luxury to tech-infused software-defined vehicles that seems to be giving it some trouble. That said, I loved my time in the G580, and it instantly became my favorite Mercedes EV.
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