2011 Mercedes-Benz G-Class On Sale In Australia

After a long absence, Mercedes-Benz's much-loved G-Wagen has returned to the German carmaker's Australian line-up.

An Australian Army contract for 1200 4x4 and 6x6 Gelandewagens was won by Mercedes-Benz in 2007, with the first cars delivered to the Army last year.

Not long after, indications from Benz's local office suggested that Defence Force personnel may not be the only Australians to get their hands on the rugged G-Wagen.

Despite a lacklustre first foray into the Australian market back in the 1980s, Mercedes-Benz has been working hard for a number of years to bring the G-Class back over here. Now, those efforts bear fruit.

"The G-Class is part of an on-going project that we've been looking into for some time," a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told TMR last year.

The G-Class arrives in Australia in two vastly different specifications, one aimed at enviro-conscious off-roading and the other targeting V8 fans. 

2011 G 350 BlueTEC

Powered by Mercedes-Benz's V6 diesel engine, the G 350 BlueTEC offers 155kW at 3400rpm  and 540Nm of torque between 1600 and 2400rpm.

On the environment front, the more affordable of the two G-Class offerings features the company's BlueTEC technology, converting up to 80 percent of the car's nitrogen oxide emissions into harmless nitrogen and water.