We slid behind the wheel of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550 and AMG 63 to find out if the icons have gone soft with their new plush interior and independent front suspension. Spoiler: The brick on wheels that is the G-Class is as capable as ever. With three locking differentials, more leather than a furniture store, and side pipes, the G-Class remains an icon that can go anywhere in luxury. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said his "Fast and Furious" character Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's character Deckard Shaw will not be in the upcoming "Fast 9" flick. That doesn't mean the two characters are gone from the franchise. No, far from it. The "Hobbs and Shaw" spinoff will premier this August, and it doesn't mean the two couldn't end up in the 10th installment of the franchise. Subaru teased the interior of the 2020 Legacy sedan before its debut next week at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show. The image revealed the latest iteration of the all-wheel-drive sedan will feature a large tablet-like infotainment touchscreen that controls both audio and climate functions.

The G550 4x4虏 looks mean enough to start, but Brabus turns things up with lots of carbon fiber additions. The firm uses the lightweight material for the dual snorkels, hood scoop, spare tire carrier, and whole lot of the body trim. Power running boards make the process easier of climbing aboard this rig. For night-time adventures, there's an LED light strip across roof and two more spotlights at the back. A big roof rack provides plenty of space to tie down gear, too. If you get stuck, a winch up front should help hauling the SUV out of the muck. Under the hood, the Adventure 4x4虏 uses a version of Mercedes-AMG's 4.0-liter biturbo V8 with 542 hp (404 kw) and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters). A seven-speed automatic routes the power to the sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. The SUV requires 6.7 seconds to reach 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour). Climbing inside, occupants find lots of high-end leather. Plus, a control panel in the center console allows customization of how the suspension handles the road. 644,860 at current exchange rates), which is quite a bit more than the standard version of the SUV. The new G-Class will arrive first as the 2019 G550 in the United States. It'll use the 4.0-liter biturbo V8 with 416 hp (310 kW) and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) and a new nine-speed automatic. Later, folks looking to upgrade will be able to get the G63 with the same engine but producing 577 hp (430 kW) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm).

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550 looks just like the 1970s model it replaces, but looks can be deceiving. A year ago, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class was the oldest new vehicle you could buy, with roots that stretched back to the 1970s. Now it just looks ancient. The G-Class has been fully redesigned for 2019, but like the latest Jeep Wrangler hasn鈥檛 strayed too far from tradition. At least not on the outside. It鈥檚 a little larger than the truck it replaces, but with its boxy body, huge windows, round headlights hood-mounted turn signals, body molding and rain gutters, it鈥檚 tough to tell the difference between them if they鈥檙e not parked side-by-side. More significant changes can be found under the skin. There鈥檚 a fully-modern cabin that can be equipped with niceties like twin 12.3-inch digital displays, massaging seats and an air perfumer. It鈥檚 also roomier than before, though perhaps not as much as the SUV鈥檚 exterior dimensions would suggest. That said, the G-Class appears to be longer than it is thanks to a standard chrome push bar and tailgate-mounted spare tire that juts out so far that parking radar takes it into account.

The G-Class remains a body-on-frame truck that鈥檚 mostly hand-built in Austria, but now features an independent front suspension, rather than a live axle, for improved comfort and handling. It does still have a stick axle in the rear, along with front, rear and center locking differentials and over nine inches of ground clearance that give it serious off-road capability. There鈥檚 also a standard full-time all-wheel-drive system and an optional adaptive suspension that are aimed more at on-road use. 125,495 for the G550 that I tested -- about four times more than a four-door Wrangler Unlimited - you鈥檙e much more likely to find one in paved parking lots than national parks. The G550 is powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 416 hp that contributes to its 7,700-pound tow rating. Without anything hooked up to it, the 5,500-pound brick can accelerate to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds as it shifts through the first couple of gears in its 9-speed automatic transmission. With a lofty seating position and low beltline, the view out of the flat windows is panoramic, but the spinnaker-like profile the G550 presents to the air doesn鈥檛 do it any favors on the fuel economy charts.