2016 Mercedes G-Class will be much lighter – could lose up to 825 lbs

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagen has largely stayed true to the first production model since its debut in 1979 with its boxy styling and body-on-frame construction.

Originally built for the army it is an impressive off-road vehicle, using three fully locking differentials, one of the few vehicles to have such a feature.

A bigger update is reportedly planned for 2016 and according to Automobile Magazine, the new redesigned model will grow in size (around four inches in width) and ride on new an aluminum platform which could save up to 825 lbs (374 kg) compared to the current model.

The current G550 weighs 5,578 lbs (2530 kg) so the total weight would come much closer to 2,000 kg with the new platform.

The design is expected to change very little as there is no reason to change a working formula. We can expect minor evolutionary updates, but nothing revolutionary.