Earth-crushing 2013 Mercedes-Benz Unimog unveiled

Mercedes-Benz Unimog, the super-villain of the off-road world, has been completely upgraded for serving a new generation of off-road enthusiasts or construction workers, whatever the case may be.

There are ten new models of this beast that are aimed at expanding the range across the traditional ‘all-terrain’ series and the ‘implement-carrier’ series. Features of this vehicle include panoramic cabins for “macroscopic” visibility, multifunction steering wheels, better dash clusters, improved HVAC and a three-mode central tyre inflation system.

The new engine line-up for this beast is surprisingly compliant with ‘Euro VI’, and features four- and six-cylinder ‘BlueEfficiency’ engines putting out power from 156 hp to 354 hp. Torque, varies from 650 Nm to 1200 Nm.

Powerplant placement has also been tweaked. The chassis gets a revised curve to place the engine a bit further back and lower, maintaining off-road clearance and lowering the Unimog’s centre of gravity. The new location of the engine means the cabin has more room, and the wheelbase is shorter. Combined with a higher turning angle, the Unimog has a smaller turning radius than before.

Outside, there are new items like LED headlights and daytime running lamps in the bumper, roof-mounted windshield wipers and a front-camera monitor for the implement carrier. You also get ‘Synergetic traction drive’ which allows changing over from manual transmission to hydrostatic transmission while driving at speeds upto 50kph.

There is no official news about a formal entry into markets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman or any of the GCC, but we expect to see this end up in the hands of a few off-road enthusiasts as well as overcompensating poseurs.