Driver’s Surprised to Learn What ‘G’ Means on a Manual Stick Shift

translates to “all-terrain vehicle.” The Mercedes-Benz G-Class was originally developed in the late 1970s as a military off-road vehicle, built at the request of the Shah of Iran before civilian production versions followed. The word Gelände attached itself to that vehicle’s identity and, over time, to any ultra-low gear that shared the same or similar purpose as the gear position on the G-Wagon.