Mercedes-Benz G580 review

From launch, there’ll only be one G580 model on offer, as usual from Mercedes. That’s the ‘Edition One’ which comes with all the kit and some exclusive features, from £180,860. As a comparison, a G63 is four grand more, with the lower reaches of G-dom weighing in at £136,690 for the G450d (recommended), or £146,095 for the now-straight-six G500 (not recommended). Other, lower-specced versions will come.

Oh, and G-Wagen residuals are as dense as the car itself, so don’t expect too many deals. Leases are looking expensive, but it’s pure electric, so a business-buy might be quite attractive.

What are the options?

Many options. All of the options. From grille style (we don’t get the ‘electric’ grille on UK G580s initially for some reason), to the squircle rear equipment box on the First Edition (it can hold charging cables or just wet kit, and locks with the car), wheels, interior trims, it’s all for the taking. We would probably forget that equipment box and just order the usual spare wheel, by the way. Especially if you want to actually off-road the thing.

And all of those things are busy upping the list price. There are also all of the colours, from standard through special to paint-to-sample through Mercedes’ own system. Which, you guessed it, are all costed. You can get a G very expensive with just a few clicks on the configurator.

What spec would you go for?

It really depends what you want your G to be. If it’s an urban tank, then the First Edition with matte paint and a funny-shaped box on the back might well be for you. But an electrified G with a sombre gloss paint, a real spare wheel on the back, a traditional grille and clear glass actually looks brilliant. No one would ever know that you’d gone all... electric.