Mercedes G-Class to get V12 power

The updated Mercedes G-Class image has been prematurely leaked on the web.  The 33-year-old G-class will receive its planned public premiere at next month’s Beijing motor show.

The reworked version of the German car maker’s iconic SUV, scheduled for a June launch, can be seen here pictured in the background of an official photograph of the facelifted Mercedes GLK posted on the carmaker's media website.

Among the subtle changes made to the G-class’s classic square rigged exterior is restyled grille, new headlamp inserts featuring LED daytime running lights and redesigned mirror housings. The tail lamps will also be re-profiled and there will be a new line of alloy wheels too.

The G55 AMG’s 12-year-old 500bhp supercharged 5.4-litre V8 will makes way for a 536bhp version of AMG’s contemporary twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 in a new G63 AMG.

The big news surrounds the addition of a rapid new G65 AMG. It features the same twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 recently confirmed for the SL65 AMG. With 621bhp and a sturdy 737lb ft of torque, it is claimed to propel the 2500kg plus G65 AMG from 0-62mph in just 5.2sec on the way to a limited 155mph top speed. The G65 AMG will be the first G-class model to receive V12 power.

The new AMG models will receive different front end styling to the standard G-class model pictured here, with a deeper front bumper housing large air ducts for more efficient engine cooling. Other performance tweaks including larger brakes brought over from the new ML63 AMG. It is unclear whether the AMG models feature the extravagant side-exit exhaust pipes used on the G55 AMG.

In a move that promises substantial fuel savings, all new G-class models will be equipped with Mercedes’ seven-speed 7G-tronic gearbox in place of the five-speed 5G-Tronic unit. The G63 AMG will offer a stop/start function and brake energy recuperation.

The G-class continues to carry the internal codename W463 and will be produced at Magna Steyr in Austria. It will carry a revised instrument pack sourced from the third-generation M-class together. A 4.5 inch colour monitor and the latest Command system incorporating internet based functions will be featured.

Globally, the revised G-class will continue to be offered with the choice of two different wheelbases: 2400mm in standard guise and 2850mm in long-wheelbase form.