The Mercedes-Benz G-Class 461-Series – known to us as the G300 Professional – is apparently on the way out.
According to Car and Driver, the Professional can not conform to strict 2014 emission standards, and will therefore be nixed. How a thirsty vehicle such as the V8 G500 can continue to exist, yet the three-litre V6 diesel Professional be deemed to dirty to run doesn’t seem clear, but be that as it may, it seems as if we might have to say farewell to the G300 Professional soon.
Of course, emission legislation in SA isn’t as strict as in other parts of the world, so it would presumably still conform to our standards, but production of the G-Class has always been limited, so it is probably safe to assume that this announcement will effectively end the existence of the G300 all over the world.
The good news, however, is that the G-Class is still incredibly popular. In fact, the vehicle had one of its best years ever in 2013, so while we might lose the bare-bones G300 soon, the others will continue to exist. There are no plans to discontinue the other models in the near future.