How Safe Is It To Drive The Mercedes-Benz G-Class?
Giancarlo Perlas April 10, 2018The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a very resilient product. Despite having been in production since 1979, it remains one of the hottest offerings of the three-pointed star marque. The early models of the G-Class may be far from the luxurious cars of Mercedes today, but it is considered to be one of the safest passenger vehicles in the world.
So, just how safe is the G-Class? The video above from the Cor Millenaar B.V. channel in YouTube shows how one of its units performed during a high-impact collision with a truck.
According to the narrator in the video, the driver of the G-Class fell asleep while cruising the road. As a result, the auto went off course and its left side rear-ended a truck. It made such an impact that the 2,300 kg Mercedes SUV pushed the 10-ton truck by a meter.
With that scenario, it would be surprising for the G-Class driver to make it out alive. However, the driver was able to get out of the vehicle by himself, and all he sustained was a concussion. The emergency team who responded to the accident even called it a miracle.
It should be noted that the G-Class in the video is already more than three decades old. The vehicle is from 1987. That means it does not even have the safety benefits offered by today’s airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS), and seatbelt pretensioner.
What Saved the Driver of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class?
One might say that the driver sure is lucky, but what really saved him had nothing to do with luck. His safety was due to the amazing engineering of the G-Class’ crumple zone, which was designed to absorb the force of a crash.
The presentation reveals that the chassis is a part of the vehicle’s crumple zone. A kink behind the steering house, which is mounted on the chassis, also played its part in protecting the driver. Next, the left side of the auto’s front crumpled by 20 cm upon impact.
Overall, the front of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class was totaled. However, its cabin remained intact, except the misaligned steering wheel. This just shows how safe it is to drive the G-Class.
