• Latest technology on a strong body
• Incredible build quality
• Excellent visibility to avoid incidents

Given its durability and rigidity, Mercedes-Benz G-Class safety should be good. The car hasn’t been tested by Euro NCAP but Mercedes-Benz vehicles are usually very safe.

The G-Class comes with plenty of safety equipment as standard, including electronic stability control, adaptive brakes to prevent the car creeping in traffic or at stop lights, an emergency brake assistance system, multiple airbags and whiplash-reducing front head restraints.

The Mercedes-Benz also comes with a trailer stability assist function, which counters trailer sway and improves driver control when towing. Radar-guided cruise control and a blind spot warning system are available as options, further improving the G-Class’s safety and reducing driver workload.

Compared to the conventional G-Class, the Mercedes-AMG G 63 additionally features revised suspension and high-performance brakes. While these do increase the safety of the vehicle, the only downside is that thanks to the sheer power on offer you’re much more likely to have a spectacular high-speed incident than you are in the conventional G-Class. As standard, Mercedes limit the top speed of the G 63 to 130mph, but the option for full performance is offered with a limit of 143mph.

• Large windows feel spacious
• Square bootspace is immense
• Towing capacity also impressive

Due to its boxy shape, upright stance and sheer size, Mercedes-Benz G-Class practicality is generally excellent. There’s a large amount of room in the cabin and space for five adults. There aren’t many easily accessed storage points though, so you can occasionally struggle to find somewhere to store things easily and safely.

Wisely, the Mercedes-Benz comes with a large 21-gallon fuel tank. That allows the diesel 4x4 to potentially cover 430 miles if it returns the claimed average economy.

Besides the range issues, it’s also disappointing to see a limited amount of places to put things in the cabin. The glove box is small and there aren’t many other useful places to store loose items.

You won’t have any problem fitting a G-Class into conventional parking space. It’s both shorter and narrower than, say, a Ford Mondeo. Buyers looking to tow trailers or horse boxes will also be pleased to find that the G-Class can tow a 750kg unbraked trailer, while the braked towing rating is a substantial 3,500kg.

Despite the G-Class’ thirst for fuel, the range of the V6 diesel is relatively acceptable because of its 96-litre fuel tank. Although costly to fill, it should allow you to cover around 400 miles between fuel stops.

Alt-text: Mercedes-Benz G-Class luggage capacity: Seats down volume: 2,126 litres, Seats up volume: 699 litres. An immense box on wheels, built like a vault and incredibly space-efficient, the G-Class can carry a remarkable amount

With the rear seats in place there’s a useful 699 litres of boot space available; 660 in the AMG. That’s not much smaller than the boot in the Volkswagen Touareg and it’s also considerably bigger than the 280-litre boot found in the Land Rover Discovery. Drop the rear seats the G-Class’ rear storage space increases tom 2,250 litres.

The Mercedes comes with a multitude of load securing points which can be combined with optional load compartment covers and nets to help keep your shopping or equipment in place. Access to the boot is easy thanks to a side-hinged rear tailgate, although this can prove problematic if you park the tail of the G-Class close to a wall or barrier.