I'm confident..Meet the Mercedes-Benz G580, where the past and the future coexist
May 22, 2025
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The G-class is off-the-shelf icon. It is one of the longest series of models in the Mercedes lineup. The first generation appeared in 1979 and is now reaching the fourth generation. It is very popular in Korea and ranks fifth in sales volume in the world. One of the reasons is that the iconic design that has continued since 1979 has not changed significantly.
Even though the model has changed to the fourth generation and even the electrified model has come out, there is no significant difference in appearance. Another authentic off-roader icon, Land Rover Defender, has a new interpretation of past designs.
The body also changes from body-on-frame type to unibody and shows a completely different future-oriented design. The two vehicles are clearly going on different paths, at least in design.What Volkswagen has chosen is to maintain its tradition.
Usually, even vehicles that maintain the name of design like this usually change the design to a level that completely changes the design when introducing electric, that is, an electric vehicle version. The G580 is not much different from the internal combustion engine Volkswagen. As the G-Class's unchanging design is an advantage, electric vehicles also retain their old identity.
Not only the angular body raised on the trapezoidal frame, but also the tough door using the hinge method were applied as it was. The electric vehicle version is slightly different in that the black decoration surrounding the radiator grill extends to the headlamp. Grill surround lighting is a feature of the front design, but this part was missing in Korea due to certification problems.
So, rather, it is no different from an internal combustion vehicle. If you like the traditional look of the G-Wagens, you can accept the appearance of the G580, an electric model, without resistance. It shows that only the South Sea Blue Magno color is a little different from the existing Volkswagen model.
If you look closely, the bonnet is slightly higher than the internal combustion vehicle to reduce air resistance even a little, and aerodynamically optimized designs such as a newly designed A-pillar and a spoiler lip on the roof are applied.
The fact that air curtains are applied to the rear wheel arches is also different. This is also a factor that reduces air resistance by allowing air to flow naturally. Since the air resistance coefficient is important for electric vehicles, minimal changes were applied while maintaining the existing design.
But there are also different parts at a glance. It is a design box applied to the back. A design box was applied instead of a spare tire cover. It opens from left to right and can be stored with slow charging cables.
Spare tire covers can also be selected in the general electric vehicle version, not the edition. However, it is important to note that it is difficult to change to a design box again because dedicated wiring is applied. The size of
is similar to Kia Sorento, the No. 1 mid-sized SUV in Korea, with a total length of 4865mm, a full width of 1985mm, a total height of 1990mm, and a wheelbase of 2890mm. Instead, it is characterized by an overall height of nearly 2 meters in 1990mm. This makes it look much larger than the actual size.
The weight of the tolerance is also significant. It weighs more than three tons. It boasts a heavy weight of 30 to 60 kilograms. A 20-inch AMG10 spoke wheel exclusively for electric vehicles is applied, and the spoke is blocked a lot considering air resistance.
When you board the interior, you will notice a good grip steering wheel. Perforated leather is widely applied. The cushion is also suitable, so when you hold it in your hand, it has an excellent texture as well as a picture. It is also equipped with a second-generation MBUX infotainment system and a 12.3-inch driver and media display with touch manipulation.
It is more convenient than the old method of adjusting it with a controller instead of a touch. Carbon fiber trim is applied to the center console and passenger console box handles, which have a blue color. The leather seat and steering wheel are also finished with blue stitches.
The seat adjustment part is installed in the door trim in the traditional way of Mercedes-Benz, and it is excellent in creating a tone. Press the start button to go for a test drive. Like an electric car, it is very quiet and glides smoothly.
The ladder-type frame structure remains the same, and the front-wheel suspension structure is the same double wishbone type as before. De Dion suspension, which is exclusive to electric vehicles, is applied only to rear-wheel suspension. The reason is that it became heavy by applying a large-capacity battery. The battery has a 118kwh battery capacity and is equipped with CATL's battery.
The difference from other electric vehicles is that a carbon composite material is applied to the lower part of the battery. As Volkswagen specializes in off-road driving, it is to protect the battery when the lower part of the vehicle is impacted when driving off-road. The battery cover weighs 58 kilograms, which makes it lighter than steel. Another feature of the G580 is the quad motor. Four motors are positioned close to each wheel and are individually controlled. Each has 146.75 horsepower. It exerts a total output of up to 587 horsepower.The combined torque is 118.7kgf.m, weighing more than 3 tons, but the zero-back records 4.8 seconds.
The ride is a body-on-frame type, but it is quite gentle thanks to the setting of the dedicated suspension. It has a strong exterior and heavy weight, but its movements are quite sleek. The battery has a low center of gravity as it is located in the lower part of the vehicle, so there is some rolling, but it also rotates fairly stably when cornering.
Acceleration also maintains a gentle sensation. Anyone who remembers the senses of conventional Volkswagen's tough, roaring engine sound heavy steering wheels may be embarrassed by the quite different senses. However, overall, it seems that you can reach more people than John, rather than a comfortable sense.
There are five drive modes. The two modes are used for rough road surfaces such as off-roading.It is likely to mainly use user settings, sports, and comfort modes. The comfort mode delivers a smooth acceleration and steering wheel sensation, making it literally suitable for comfortable long-distance driving.
Changing to sports mode makes the accelerator reaction more agile. However, the sense is a little different from the sports mode of sharp response of a typical electric vehicle. It has a heavy sense that suits a high body. The bigger difference than the driving sensation is the sound. The G580 produces a virtual engine sound similar to the sound of the V8 G500 engine. It's called 'G-Lore'.
Although restrained in comfort mode, it provides powerful and emotional sound in sports mode.Of course, it's a big difference from the real sound I felt in G63, so if you want to feel an intense sound, you'd better choose G63.
In the case of regenerative braking, it can be adjusted in four major stages. It is adjusted by the paddle shift on the back of the steering wheel, and the deceleration increases when the left is pulled. Pulling the right reduces the amount of deceleration. It is adjusted in the order of no regenerative braking, general, high deceleration, and maximum regenerative braking.
There are two characteristics. If there is no regenerative braking, unlike other electric vehicles, it shows the sense of a real internal combustion vehicle. The sense of the car slipping is good with the feeling of coasting. If a driver or passenger feels motion sickness due to the regenerative braking of an electric car, the G580 does not have such worries.
In addition, although the regenerative braking is at its maximum, it is also characterized by the absence of a one-pedal mode. German vehicles, including Mercedes, often exclude the one-pedal mode. It seems to be a strategy to prevent pedal malfunction or to maintain the sense of existing internal combustion vehicles.
The brake neatly sets a weight of more than three tons.The brake sensation is linear, so it is braking as much as you step on it, so it is heavy, but you can drive with faith.
In some electric vehicles, the regenerative braking intervention is high, so if the capacity of the physical brake is reduced and the regenerative brake is left in the minimum mode or off, the physical brake can be felt to be pushed. Even if the regenerative braking is turned off, the G580 has strong physical brakes, so it has high reliability in braking.
Adaptive cruise control was turned on for ADAS testing. Volkswagen was rather stingy with ADAS functions, but now all the latest features have been applied. Deceleration or stopping due to the stop of the vehicle in front is natural.
The G580 is specialized for off-road functionality. Equipped with an intelligent off-road crawl mode, it is convenient to automatically control at a maximum speed of 3, 5, 7, and 9 km/h off-road, which is similar to the X-TREK function of TASMAN.
However, the difference is that it mainly uses regenerative braking to slow down as an electric vehicle. Various features specialized for off-road driving such as G-turn, G-steering, off-road crawling cruise control, and differential locks with intelligent torque vectoring are provided.
Normally, it is thought that electric vehicles will also have less off-road frequency and steeling capabilities.The steel capability is 850mm, which is 150mm higher than the internal combustion engine Volkswagen. But even without off-road driving, the G580's appeal was sufficient.
Unlike large, angled bodies, the low center of gravity and the abundance of torque pouring out immediately allow for smooth and fast acceleration. The ride is also very soft, showing a distinct difference from the previously ridden Volkswagen at the risk of some inconvenience.
If you want the G63's intense engine sound and rough and powerful sensations, the G63 will be the best choice, but if you want the style of the GWG and you want the comfortable driving sense and low maintenance costs, the G580 will be the best choice.
One line review
Advantages - How can a Volkswagen be this convenient..The low maintenance cost of an electric car is a bonus
Disadvantages - G63's intense sound and sensation are irreplaceable.
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Editor Song Moon-chul mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
