Mercedes G Class to get 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 – should offer up to 416bhp

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The Mercedes G Class is to lose its 5.5 litre naturally aspirated V8 in favour of the new 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 found in the new Mercedes AMG GT.

Unlike Land Rover and the Defender – where Land Rover has already called time on the Defender – Mercedes is still keeping faith with the G-Class and seeking to improve it even as we head towards an all-new G-Class in 2017.

That means keeping sales coming and making sure the G-Wagon is still appealing and still relevant despite its ancient structures, and making sure it has engines that appeal.

In the UK that means just two options, with the G 350 diesel heading for sane buyers and the G 63 AMG heading to footballers and posers. That said, with the G Wagon costing from £86,000 even for the diesel, we’re sure there’s more than a smattering of posers buying in to the diesel too.

But what we don’t get in the UK is the G500/550, the naturally aspirated version of the 5.5 litre V8, common on the other aside of the Pond but deemed too thirsty for the UK. Which as you’ll be lucky to see 20mpg out of the diesel we can’t see anyone baulking at the petrol V8. Still, Mercedes know best.

But maybe they’ll have a change of heart with the latest V8 going in to the G500/550, as the G Class is to get the same 4.0 litre twin turbo V8 as the AMG GT, as previewed by the Mercedes G 500 4×4² concept (pictured above) revealed before the Geneva Motor Show.

That will mean an extra 40bhp or so to play with, as well as better economy and better emissions, and has to be done as the current engine doesn’t meet Euro 6 regulations which come in to effect later this year.

Will Mercedes bother to bring the new petrol V8 G Class to the UK in its current iteration? Probably not – but they should.