Watch: TG deploys Merc's 360-degree 'G-Turn' party piece

Electric vehicles are having a tough time of it at the moment, but what should the verdict be when contemporary battery and motor technology improves an old-school SUV in nearly every way? That’s what an EV powertrain potentially does to the Mercedes G-Class…
 
On the road the new G580 (initially, but no longer known as the EQG) is quieter, quicker – thanks to 858lb ft – and produces zero tailpipe emissions. And off-road, its quad e-motor set-up means it can use anything down to just one wheel to crawl its way out of trouble.

It can wade deeper than a G63, too, while ‘G-Steering’ means it can do super-tight turns, and ‘G-Turn’ sees it pivot on the spot, just like a tank.

Then again, the G580 weighs over three tonnes and can’t tow anything given it’s already so heavy.
 
So, is the electrified Geländewagen the future, or an archaic SUV made even more obscure and obsolete? Top Gear’s Tom Ford has been to find out…