Stand outside any upmarket hotel, restaurant or mall in Dubai for ten minutes and you’ll see it – a square, upright silhouette which is nothing like anything else on the road. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class (the ‘G-Wagon’ to almost everyone) has become one of the most recognisable icons in the city – in a city which is full of supercars.

For anyone who wants to experience it, renting is the obvious route. The most famous version is the AMG G63, and a G63 rental Dubai search will show you offers from different rental companies, with the model years, colours and conditions available for your dates.

But how on earth did a boxy off-roader become Dubai’s status car?

A shape that refused to change

The G-Class was always first and foremost a military and off-road vehicle and that fundamental character has been remarkably consistent through all the decades of evolution that have taken place underneath the skin. The flat panels, the exposed door hinges, the round headlights and the side hinged rear door are all very much in keeping with that original brief.

That very stubbornness is precisely what people love about it. All the modern SUVs look pretty much the same, but the G-Class is instantly recognisable from 100m. It looks just as at home outside a beach club as it does on a mountain road at Hatta.

Why Dubai fell for it

Dubai celebrates bold design and the G-Class is very much at home amongst the skyscrapers. It’s not just a pretty face though. It’s a genuinely comfortable luxury SUV with excellent air conditioning, good seats and a lot of technology. It’s a very practical car for everyday life in the city.

It’s also very versatile. You can take it to a business meeting in DIFC, a family lunch in Jumeirah and a weekend trip to the mountains. It has come to be a symbol of success in fact and that’s why so many of the visitors want to drive one at least once.

The G63: loud, proud and unmistakable

The AMG G63 takes the standard body and adds a supercharged twin-turbo V8, side exhausts and more aggressive styling. You hear it before you see it.

Inside it’s a mix of leather, digital displays and the usual host of premium materials with the very upright G-Class driving position. You’re sitting high with a superb view of the road. The doors close with that satisfying mechanical clack and that’s something owners will talk about with real feeling.

What it’s like to drive in the city

Driving a G-Class is quite a different proposition to other luxury SUVs. The tall windscreen and boxy shape make you acutely aware of the car’s sheer size. The G63 is surprisingly quick in the acceleration department for such a heavy car and the V8 soundtrack is a huge part of the enjoyment.

In town it’s quite manageable, just be careful in the tight car parks as it’s tall and wide and some of the underground car parks have height restrictions. On the motorway it’s very stable and comfortable, just not the quietest SUV you’ll ever drive. No one seems to mind.

Renting one: what’s different

Premium SUVs tend to have more onerous conditions than your average car when it comes to deposits and insurance excess. That’s why it’s worth looking at a number of different rental companies. One may have the latest model, another may have the colour you’re after and a third may have the best deposit terms.

Deposits are the detail people are most interested in. On Yango Drive up to a quarter of all offers can be booked without a deposit. For the luxury cars that will depend entirely on the individual offer so you’ll need to check the terms of the offer. To get the full picture, go and have a look at luxury cars for rent in Dubai and compare the G-Class against the other premium models side by side.

Also check the daily mileage limit, how Salik tolls and fines are charged and whether the car can be delivered to your hotel. The age and driving experience requirements will vary from company to company so you’ll need to check those in the offer conditions.

If the G-Class isn’t available

Dubai has a whole raft of other luxury SUVs with plenty of character. The Range Rover is all about refined, quiet comfort. The Bentley Bentayga is the grand tourer in the SUV bracket and the Lamborghini Urus is the SUV with the supercar in its DNA. All very different propositions.

Is it worth it?

If you’re after a car that really does encapsulates the spirit of Dubai, the one that’s bold, confident and utterly impossible to miss then the G-Class is hard to beat. It’s not the most practical of SUVS, it’s by no means the quietest and it’s definitely not the most discreet. That’s the whole point though. For a weekend it’s not just transport, it’s part of the experience.

Read Also: Gold Souq Bus Station Dubai