Mercedes G-Class review

Few will have trouble getting comfortable behind the wheel of a G-Class. The steering wheel, seat and pedals all line up nicely and there’s a reasonable amount of room for your left foot. Unlike in previous generations, plentiful interior width means you won’t feel hemmed in, either. However, while the electric seats with memory function are standard, it’s disappointing that adjustable lumbar support is strictly optional. However, you can go one better and add a sumptuous massaging seat function instead.

Settle behind the flat-bottomed steering wheel and you’re greeted by a pair of 12.3in digital displays – one for infotainment and one in place of conventional dials. Both are configurable and easy to read and have pin-sharp graphics.

Meanwhile, the car’s unusually flat, upright windscreen and that high driving position mean visibility is generally very good. The car's square sides and prominent front corners make it easy to place on the road and most of the windows are huge. Rearward visibility is an exception, though; the tailgate-mounted spare wheel partially obscures your view through the rear screen and makes reversing a little tricky. Still, parking help is at hand from a standard 360deg camera system, although this is easily obscured by any mud you might pick up along adventurous routes.

Elsewhere, buttons and other controls work with pleasing precision and there are enough traditional G-Class design cues – the passenger grab handle and three centrally positioned diff lock buttons – to remind you of what you’re sitting in. Even the way the doors shut – or perhaps we should  say slam – harks back to G-Classes of old, while the central locking operates with a satisfying clonk.