Department of National Defence Adds More Mercedes G Wagons to Canadian Armed Forces

Canadian Forces to Decommission Aging Fleet of Bombardier-Made Iltis Light Utility Vehicles

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz..." is a song Canadian ground

The first 18 of 60 Mercedes-Benz G Wagon landed at Kabul's airport on Friday, 5 March 2004. The G-Wagons will replace the aging fleet of Iltis vehicles used by Canada's Army. (Photo: Cpl Chris Connolly, Op Athena Roto 1, Department of National Defence)

troops are rumored to have been singing to their Department of National Defence (DND) leaders in recent years, having had to endure the less than optimal Bombardier-made fleet of Iltis light utility vehicles.

And Canada's DND has obviously warmed to the merits of Mercedes-Benz' G Wagon (otherwise know as Gelaendewagen, Gelandewagen, or G-Class, the latter in civilian trim) off-roader in exercising its option to purchase an additional $81-million worth of the light duty 4x4s and 20 Armour Protection System

The 1937 BMW 325 4x4 is very similar to the Mercedes-Benz G5 of the same year, and not by accident. The German army had ordered all car manufacturers in 1933 to design an "Einheits-Pkw mit Allradantrieb," a Uniform Passenger Car with 4WD. All manufacturers had to follow identical blueprints and technical layout. (Photo: 4X4ABC.com)

(APS) kits for the Canadian Forces (CF), totaling 357 units.

According to a press release distributed by Mercedes-Benz Canada, the new LUVW-SMP (Light Utility Vehicle, Wheeled - Standard Military Pattern) G Wagon won't reportedly cost Canadian taxpayers anything over the long run, but in fact will "result in a potential cost savings of approximately $3.2 million annually."

While sold as the G500 and G55 to wealthy, trend-setting luxury buyers, the Gelaendewagen was never intended to be the pinnacle of SUV one-upmanship at its inception. It was designed for military purposes decades ago. That's why its design appears so "Swiss Army" functional and so anachronistic. The Gelandewagen has continued forward with only minor styling tweaks since its inception in 1979.