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.May 26, 2004
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This Week:

• America's Favorite Convertible Company Drops Top on New 2005 Chrysler Crossfire

• Toyota Announces Prices For 2005 Echo

• The Sharan: A Long-Term Success Story

• BMW Group and Brilliance officially open Shenyang plant

• A Cross-Country Classic: 25 Years of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class

• Mazda Records Best April in 12 Years

• Saab Cars USA to relocate headquarters to Detroit

• Chrysler Group SUV Sales Humming Along in 2004

• Porsche extends its range of models

• Reclassification Of Four-Wheel Drive SUVs Reduces GM Protection Plan Pricing

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A Cross-Country Classic: 25 Years of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class
 

                                                                                                                                                          Photo: DC

• G 55 AMG: Top-performing vehicle in its class

• G-Class has been rolling off the line at Magna Steyr in Graz since 1979

• Around 175,000 Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicles produced to date

• Prof. Hubbert: "Even after a quarter of a century, the G-Class still has plenty of potential and continues to set the standards in its segment."

Stuttgart - The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is celebrating a special anniversary this year, as the cross-country vehicle has been in production now for the past 25 years. The G-Class can therefore look back on one of the longest production runs in automotive history. Since production was launched in 1979, around 175,000 G-Class vehicles have rolled off the assembly line at Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, where the automobile is manufactured on behalf of DaimlerChrysler.

With an unmistakable exterior that has remained virtually unchanged over the years, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has set standards from the very start and has always been at the forefront of technological development. "The G-Class has become a legend that uniquely combines extraordinary off-road capabilities with Mercedes standards of comfort when the vehicle is back on the road," says Prof. Jürgen Hubbert, Member of the Board of Management of the DaimlerChrysler AG responsible for the Mercedes Car Group.

The G 55 AMG that DaimlerChrysler unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in early March 2004 is not only the most powerful G-Class to date, but also the top-performing vehicle in its class. "The G 55 AMG proves once again that the G-Class still has plenty of potential even a quarter of a century after its market launch," says Prof. Hubbert. "This cross-country classic continues to set the standards in its market segment." The range of engines for this model is rounded out by the top-of-the-line G 55 AMG, which comes in four variants: G 270 CDI, G 320, G 400 CDI and G 500. The G-Class is available in both short and long wheelbase versions and as a convertible.

A synonym for off-road mobility, reliability, safety and performance

DaimlerChrysler sold 7,400 G-Class vehicles worldwide in 2003, with about 1,500 of them going to customers in Germany. Since the end of 2001, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class has also been available in the United States, where about 6,500 customers have opted for an automobile from this series. "The G Class stands for off-road mobility, reliability, safety and performance," says Prof. Hubbert. "The sales success in the U.S. impressively demonstrates that this off-road vehicle has maintained its extraordinary appeal to this very day."

Long strategic partnership between DaimlerChrysler and Magna Steyr

Magna Steyr has been successfully working together with DaimlerChrysler for many years. In addition to the G-Class, the company also manufactures the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in Austria on behalf of DaimlerChrysler. Most of these vehicles are equipped with 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive. The Jeep® Grand Cherokee and the Chrysler Voyager are also produced at the Graz plant. What's more, the two companies cooperate on the development of vehicle components and drive concepts.

(May 24, 2004)