The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is one of the most iconic SUVs to ever roll off a factory floor. It isn’t hard to see why, either: It’s rugged, extremely capable, and beautiful, too, in a boxy and brutish sort of way. Efficiency, though, has never been one of its defining traits, because big lumbering vehicles like it tend to guzzle gas in not-so-green fashion.
If you’ve been holding off on owning a G-Class out of fear trees will resent you for it, Congleton may have a solution. The company has taken it upon itself to convert pre-2007 G-Wagens (both two- and four-door models) into electric SUVs, and you’ll hardly be able to tell its products apart from their conventionally-powered counterparts. Just be prepared to pay a very pretty penny for one.
How much are we talking here?
A conversion starts at $275,000 (around P13.3 million) and requires a $50,000 (P2.4 million) deposit. That’s a considerable sum for an SUV that’s well over a decade old.
You do get quite a bit for throwing a small fortune at Congleton, however, The company claims that its 400V/300hp motor will cut a V8-powered G-Class unit’s 0-60 time in half, and offer a top speed of 153kph while offering comparable range. Units’ exteriors and interiors will be customized to each owner’s liking as well.
Reservations have an 18-month lead time, so you’re in for a considerably long wait if you decide to pull the trigger on this. Think Mercedes-Benz will ever turn the G-Class into an electric SUV?
