Mercedes-Benz’s upmarket push in recent years has seen a number of its tough, no-frills models get cast aside in favour of brighter and blingier vehicles.
That hasn’t been the case with the Unimog however, with the big 4×4 truck remaining a staple of the brand’s roots in delivering on a focused goal of no-compromise ability.
However, with the Unimog’s 80th anniversary coming up in 2026, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks has given it a makeover to fall more in line with what the brand’s modern customers expect.
Built in collaboration with Hellgeth Engineering, the “most luxurious Unimog ever” was designed with the purpose of further enhancing what the tough truck can do, and it might not remain as just a show vehicle.
“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, said Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks CEO, Franziska Cusumano.
“This Unimog is a statement of innovation and passion.”
Based on the Unimog U4023 - itself designed for “the toughest civilian and military applications” - the 4×4 truck already features portal axles and three differential locks.
Mercedes-Benz has swapped out the Unimog’s four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine with the more potent 7.7-litre straight-six OM936, capable of making 220kW, providing “higher performance, optimized transmission tuning, and increased driving comfort”.
The large dual-cab can seat four in greater comfort with leather upholstery and floor mats, ergonomic seats, plus LED ambient lighting.
A raft of exterior cosmetic changes were made too, inspired by Mercedes-Benz’s SUV lineup. These include the matte grey paint, LED headlights and aluminum beadlock wheels.
While there are no official plans to put it into production yet, Mercedes-Benz says the luxury Unimog “will be tested by a customer in real-world conditions next year” in order to “gain valuable insights for a possible future development stage”.
