The G-Wagon of the future?
Is this what the future of off-road driving looks like? Believe it or not, but this is a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon. Or rather, this is what the company envisions the G-Wagon of 2025 to look like.
Can one take this design exercise seriously? After all, with its bloated proportions and yellow inserts, the vehicle looks a little cartoon-like. To make matters worse, it is called the Ener-G-Force, a name with a distinct Power Rangers feel to it. And what powers the vehicle? All that’s been said is that four electric motors power the wheels, and that it has a system that can convert recycled water stored on the roof into hydrogen.
To be fair, Mercedes-Benz has admitted that the Ener-G-Force is more “science fiction exercise” than “real-world design”. If an SUV ever looks like this and gets its power from self-created hydrogen in the future, it won’t be by 2025. That said, there are some interesting hints as to what direction the company’s SUVs might take in near future. Scale the Ener-G-Force down and simplify its design, and it’s possible to see the outline of a next-generation G-Class or GL in there. The vehicle also boasts some tech that we’ll probably see before 2025. For example, it has a scanner system on the roof that can examine terrain and adjust spring and damper setting to improve ride quality. That’s exactly the sort of technology one would expect from Merc.
The vehicle was unveiled at the LA Auto Show, which is currently under way.