Mercedes-Benz G-Class wait times 'have blown out to 2024'

Mercedes-Benz has denied reports of G-Class buyers being turned away, as waiting times for the off-roader reportedly blow out.

The statement follows a post to the MBPassionBlog earlier this month, which claimed G-Class sales would be frozen from January 17 to ease growing wait times for the four-wheel-drive.

A spokesperson for Mercedes-Benz USA told Motor Trend order books for the G-Class remain open, however the company declined to comment any further on production when the publication asked.

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As such, the marque has not denied recent claims of customers who purchase a brand-new G-Class having to wait until the fourth quarter of 2024 to pick up their vehicle.

In its report, Motor Trend notes a more reasonable 15-month waiting time for North American customers.

Mercedes-Benz USA recently dropped most V8-powered variants – including the G63 – for 2022, citing quality concerns, meaning customers would need to wait until model-year 2023 examples arrive to jump into an eight-cylinder G-Class.

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A mid-life update to the G-Class is rumoured to debut later this year or in early 2023.

It is expected to sport minor tweaks to the retro exterior styling and pick up the brand’s latest infotainment system and driver assistance technologies inside.

Therefore, the forthcoming update could be another contributor towards the rumoured delays – in addition to the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage and surging interest for the lifestyle-orientated off-roader.

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Demand for the G-Class, which debuted in its second-generation form in 2018, was as strong as ever in 2021, with Mercedes-Benz reporting 41,174 sales globally – a new record for the nameplate.

The vehicle, which was designed for off-road use but is growing in popularity in urban areas, has been produced at the Magna-Steyr factory in Graz, Austria, since 1979.

This facility also manufactures the BMW Z4, Toyota Supra, BMW 5 Series, Jaguar E-Pace and Jaguar I-Pace. Another vehicle, the Fisker Ocean, is expected to join the assorted line-up in November.