MERCEDES-BENZ G500/G63 (W464)

A typical car is redesigned every few years. The 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class is not a typical car. Not by a long shot.

In its first complete renovation, ever, we give the 2019 G-Class a 6.6 out of 10, with a huge hit taken in fuel economy scores.

The updates are at first glance subtle, but they’re comprehensive and this SUV is unquestionably still a Geländewagen—the German word for “cross-country vehicle” that gave this durable off-roader its G-Wagen nickname.

The 2019 G-Class retains its boxy, upright styling—so much so that casual observers probably won’t realize that it shares very little with its predecessor. Its lines are cleaner, but hardly streamlined. Its windshield is proudly upright today as it was in 1979 when the first Gs hit the road. Inside, the G-Wagen gets with the times with a dashboard that blends S-Class styling cues and technology squared-off surfaces that give this SUV a distinctive look unlike anything else in the German automaker’s portfolio.

Mercedes fits the 2019 G-Class with a 577-horsepower twin-turbo V-8 in the AMG G63, and with a detuned version worth 416 hp in the G550. Both sport a 9-speed automatic with a wider set of gears to enhance its off-road ability.