More Geländepanzer than Geländewagen, the new electric G is a galvanizing alternative to the fire-breathing AMG. But from the outside, the G580 with EQ Technology doesn’t appear all that different from its military progenitor. Aside from the optional Black Panel radiator shell ($1,300) that changes the front grill, and the Design Box ($0) that replaces the spare tire with a giant AirPod case, the G580 appears almost identical to the G550. There is no bull bar available for the electric G, but its overall silhouette and stance haven’t been graphically sterilized or passed through an EV filter either.

Underneath that matte white epidermis is where the real differences lie. Four electric motors, four transmissions, four wheels, and one battery – if that’s not a big enough headline for you, then chances are you have doomscrolled yourself into oblivion. This electronic ensemble produces 579 hp and 859 lb-ft of torque, allowing the G580 to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, only three-tenths slower than the G63 AMG and enough to keep up with a GLC43. An electric motor is mounted near each wheel and operates independently to deliver tailored torque, allowing for articulate control and the removal of physical differentials. Each motor also gets its own two-speed transmission. Rumour has it that if you cut the G580 into four equal slices, each can operate as its own individual EV. 

What about the G’s iconic differential locking buttons, then? They have been replaced by buttons that owners will actually use, each enabling special modes: G-Steering, Low Range, and G-Turn, the latter of which spins the car 360 degrees on its axis, providing the closest civilian experience to an M1 Abrams. Three-point turns are not stronger than time, it seems, but tank turns are. G-Turn requires a few inputs, like entering a cheat code on your PlayStation controller, and a relatively loose surface, but the reward is endless giggles and uneven tire wear. 

Someone honking at you? G-Turn and retaliate with your own horn. Need to run a science experiment? G-Turn at the north pole and see if it spins in the opposite direction. G-Turns also give “don’t make me turn this car around!” a new meaning. On the other hand, G-Steering is off-road specific, and it varies the torque sent to each individual wheel to reduce its turning radius and improve maneuverability. 

The G580 still uses a durable ladder frame chassis but with an independent front suspension and a solid rear axle. All of the battery architecture is mounted above the ladder frame, and Mercedes has added bracing and protection to ensure it can withstand the stresses and scratches of rock-crawling duties. We wouldn’t want any electrical fires on a forested path, would we? Ultimately, this is the most overengineered vehicle we’ve ever driven, and nothing was left off the table. But all the tech begins to add up, resulting in a planetary curb weight of 3,085 kg, the heaviest vehicle we’ve ever tested here at CAR. The G580 essentially commands its own orbit, weighing more than two Toyota GR Corollas stacked on top of each other, and eclipsing the G63 AMG by a whopping 445 kg. Those poor tires. 

You would expect a shameful electric range, but we achieved an impressive 398 km on a full battery charge, more than exceptional in what is essentially a road tank with the drag coefficient of a brick wall. Perhaps shedding that spare tire on the rear did some good after all.

We never grow tired of hearing those bolt-action door-lock mechanisms in action, like you’re opening the gates to a secure bank vault. It also means that shutting the door properly requires a fair bit of strength; you will have to teach your passengers to slam it without fear of breaking it, but nobody ever gets it right on their first try. Unlike earlier models, the G580 now features keyless entry. However, we dislike the lock knob protruding exactly where your elbow rests on the door sill, and when you want to exit the vehicle, the door handles are awkwardly positioned and hidden at knee level, so it takes some leg shuffling to uncover them. On the bright side, the absence of steaming side-mounted exhaust pipes means you won’t sear your shins as you exit from the rear. 

Once inside, you are greeted with a lavish interior lined with expensive cowhides on the seats and even the steering wheel’s airbag cover (unlike the last-gen W463 G550). You can go further with the Manufaktur Full Leather Package ($16,000), which layers Nappa leather with diamond stitching on every surface, from the roof pillars and ceiling to the front seatbacks and magazine pockets. Enhance it with a splash of red or brown leather to make it truly stand out. The rear accommodations are the same as the G550, the rear windows still don’t roll down all the way, and there are some cheap plastic areas, such as the keyfob and the passenger-side window switch panel, looking out of place next to the blue carbon fibre and metal Burmester speakers covers.

Yorkville or the Bridle Path may be its natural hunting ground, but the G-Wagen now wafts in silence and reservation rather than pomp and circumstance. This stately carriage is exceptionally comfortable, and it swallows compressions without ever hitting the bump stops. On glassier surfaces, the ride is so pillowy and removed from the road that you start feeling isolated, both physically and acoustically, especially without that signature eight-cylinder thrum. While the G580 emits faint spaceship noises that have been synthesized on a computer, it adds a bass-filled musical backdrop to every tap of the accelerator pedal.

The G580 still squats, pitches, and lurches when asked more of it, and it needs time to settle, but the expected refractory period is short-lived, and its weight penalty over the G63 is only noticeable when you kick down the throttle at speeds above 120 km/h. The strategic placement of the battery has allowed the G to better maneuver tight spaces, adding a deftness to the steering and a calmness to its ongoing negotiations with divots and cracks on the road. Those upgrading from a last-gen G will find its spacious cabin and more remarkable road manners worth the upcharge. And while slower to accelerate on paper, the G580 feels quicker than any G63 we have driven, likely due to the immediate thrust of those quad motors that combustion engines just can’t replicate. What’s most impressive is that while the setup is almost alien and fully controlled by lines of code rather than sentient engines, the resulting connection is no less complex, foreign, or artificial than the regular G550.

Which begs the question: combustion or electric? The anachronistic G63 AMG may be more costly to operate, but the way it burbles and rumbles on idle like a belligerent war drum, and how it leaves a thunderstorm in its wake while accelerating, is nothing short of addicting. The electric G580 neuters some, not all, of that imperiousness and replaces it with church-like decibel levels, absurd comfort, and neat tricks to show off to your mates. However, it doesn’t thrill us the way an AMG V8 does, and it lacks that unwavering sense of occasion on every ignition start-up.

But just having that choice is already a privilege, as both are sincere love letters to G-Class enthusiasts. Who would have dreamed 45 years ago, when the original G was conceived, that a superfluous battery-powered version would be available to the public, let alone be a pirouetting statement piece for high-net-worth individuals with a green conscience?

Specifications:

Model: 2025 Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology Edition One
Paint Type: MANUFAKTUR Opalite White MAGNO
Base Price: $206,000
Price as Tested: $237,000
Wheelbase(mm): 2,890
Length/Width/Height (mm): 4,624 / 1,913 / 1,986
Curb weight (kg): 3,085
Powertrain: Four electric motors, 116-kWh battery
Horsepower: 579 hp
Torque: 859 lb-ft
Transmission: 2-speed transmissions (one on each wheel)
Engine & Drive Configuration: Front engine, 4WD
Observed Range: 398 km
Tires: Falken Azenis FK520; 275/50R20