Talk about a cool party trick guaranteed to gain you celebrity status at the next Cars and Coffee gathering.
Mercedes-Benz’ brand new, all-electric G 580 with EQ Technology has, among its considerable technical repertoire, the ability to do a “G Turn”.
G What, I hear you exclaim? Courtesy of its four potent electric motors – one for each wheel – which can spin in opposite directions, the 580 can rotate in its own length. Just like a tank. Or Mark Wahlberg in his Marky Mark days doing a break-dancing shoulder spin. You get the picture.
Some technique has to be mastered before you try it out for yourself. Start by pressing the “G Turn” button, then pull back and hold either steering wheel paddle shifter – left for a left spin, right for a right – and then hold tight and keep the steering wheel centered.
Now mash the throttle and experience the highly-unnerving, overwhelmingly-nauseating sensation of spinning inside this three-and-a-half-ton automotive blender.
Thankfully you only get two full pirouettes. No doubt to preserve tires and the contents on your stomach.
But pray explain what is the point? I don’t think there is one, bar blatant exhibitionism and providing thrill rides for the kids and grandma.
Just maybe, on a snowy trail up to your Aspen ski lodge when you’ve forgotten the Dom Perignon, you’ll appreciate a rapid U-turn – or make that G Turn – to get you back to the wine store pronto.
Thankfully there’s are more serious distinguishing features to this latest version of Mercedes’ beloved Geländewagen luxury off-roader, now in its 46th year of production.
Electric power, and heaps of it, for starters. With a 116 kWh lithium-ion battery pack juicing those four two-speed electric motors, there’s an impressive 579-horsepower and stump-lifting 859 lb-ft of torque on tap.
As you’d expect of an electric ‘Benz, off-the-line acceleration is up there with a rock exiting a catapult. A mere 4.6 seconds is all it takes to lunge from standstill to 60 mph. For something tipping the scales at close to 7,000 pounds, that’s pretty impressive. As for the 112 mph top speed? Maybe not so much.
Definitely less impressive is the 580’s EPA-estimated range of 239 miles. These days, 300 miles and above is the norm. Rivian’s long-range R1S SUV is good for 410 miles. Cadillac’s new Escalade IQ can whizz along for up to 460 miles on a single charge.
I suspect however that few G 580s will be called on to go the distance, being relegated to school runs, commutes to the golf course, yacht club or fine dining.
That said, your 580 will come with a Mercedes fast charging adapter to let you connect to one of Tesla’s 20,000-plus Supercharger stations. Here, the Merc’s 400-volt charging system can suck-in up to 200kW of charge, taking the battery pack from 10 per cent to 80 per cent of capacity in 32 minutes. Or plug it in at home and you can go from empty to full in 13.5 hours.
If you have to take the road less traveled, and splatter mud on that pricey paintwork, know that this new electric G is a superstar when the going gets tough. For starters it can wade through water 33.5 inches deep, which is 5.9 inches more than the gas-engined G 550. That’s a major plus in these times of hurricanes and storm surges.
Back on the blacktop, electric power makes this new G 580 a more luxurious alternative to its dead dinosaur-fueled siblings.
Around town there’s nothing but spooky silence, aided and abetted by the new acoustic glass and re-shaped windshield pillars to cut wind noise. All the better for experiencing the ear-bleeding Burmester 3D Surround Sound system.
While nothing too much has changed style-wise with this new 2025 G range, you can spot this new 580 by its new, flat-panel grille ringed by a white LED strip, to match the ring of LEDs around the headlights. At the rear, instead of a hard cover for the spare wheel, there’s a slimmed down version to hold the charging cable.
Pricewise, you’re looking at a starting sticker of $161,500, which is roughly middle ground between the $148,250, 416 hp G 550 V8 and thundering $186,100, 577 hp twin-turbo V8 G 63.
As for the ability to perform G Turns on your neighbor’s gravel driveway? Just tell ’em you’ve joined a Spin Class.
