- Spied at the ‘Ring as a surprise

- Lifted kit is a trademark of 4x42

The W463 generation of Mercedes-Benz G-Class is finally getting its version of the 4x42 (four-by-four-squared). Spied outside Mercedes’ testing facility, the lifted G Wagen was seen with black duct tape instead of camouflage.

For those unaware, the 4×4² was a special edition of the previous Mercedes-Benz G-Class with portal gear axles, increased ride height, larger wheels and tyres, and added off-road capability. The new-gen G will be getting a similar setup with increased track – thus the wider wheel arches seen on the prototype. Even the front bumper is reworked with a bigger bash plate and an additional drilled bar is seen below the rear bumper.

This being an overlanding special, there’s a roof rack mounted on the prototype. Another interesting element was the slightly road-going ORVMs, but we reckon these were installed for Nurburgring testing, and the off-roader will have a conventional mirror. Although the wheel design looked rather simple, that might change on the production-ready model.

In terms of powertrain, the older G 4x42 had a V8 and the new one won’t deter from the tradition. It will be the familiar 4.0-litre twin-turbo unit and will be sold in the G500/G550 guise across the European and American markets. Other go-anywhere hardware will be carried over with newer improvements.

We could expect the new G-Class 4x42 to be showcased sometime later this year. It should also arrive at the Indian shores once it goes on sale in the international markets.