Mercedes-Benz Finally Made a Luxury Unimog Truck

It’s time for the Mercedes-Benz Unimog to finally get a glow up.

The automaker’s Special Trucks division just unveiled a glammed-up version of its do-anything utility vehicle. The luxury makeover, which, as of now, appears to just be a one-off, is meant to celebrate the vehicle’s 80^th birthday.

The G-Class, or G-Wagen, may be Mercedes’s most famous utility vehicle, but the Unimog is most capable. First introduced in 1944, the multi-purpose off-roader with portal axles has been used as the basis for military, emergency, and commercial vehicles in some of the most punishing environments around the world. It’s a vehicle so burly that Arnold Schwarzenegger, an avowed lover of gigantic trucks and SUVs, once included it in his personal collection.

Mercedes teamed up with conversion shop Hellgeth Engineering for the special Unimog. Based on the U 4023, the off-roader features a unique exterior that gives it the look of an SUV rather than a truck. The striking dual-cab body is finished in matte grey paint, wears an all-new LED lighting package, and rides on a set of aluminum beadlock wheels wrapped in chunky all-terrain tires. Inside, the interior features ergonomic seats covered in premium leather with contrast stitching and LED lighting. It’s not a Maybach by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a lot cushier than your average commercial vehicle.

The changes aren’t all cosmetic, either. The Unimog’s standard four-cylinder engine has been replaced by a six-cylinder mill that makes 300 hp. The vehicle also features the nameplate’s trademark portal axles, a flexible frame, and selectable all-wheel drive. It may be fancier than your average Unimog, but it can still get down to work.

“With the luxury Unimog show car, we have realized our vision of combining the legendary robustness and off-road capability of the Unimog with an entirely new standard of comfort and engineering skills,” Franziska Cusumano, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, said in a statement. “This Unimog is a statement of innovation and passion.”

That quote makes clear that the luxury Unimog is just a one-off for now. Still, as hard as it may be to believe, there was a time when the G-Wagen was more utilitarian than fashionable. If the response to a more comfortable Unimog is as strong as we imagine it will be, it wouldn’t be a complete shock if a small run of the vehicle were to find its way into production.

Click here for more photos of the luxury Mercedes-Benz Unimog.