Photo: Davido’s armoured luxury G55 Mercedes Benz

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Popular singer, David Adeleke, aka ‘Davido’ is one of the best and well-received Nigerian artistes at the moment. He has continued to impress his fans, distant observers and listening public with his beautiful tracks.

His slogan, Omo Baba Olowo, seems not to be a mere slogan as informed by his acquisition of automobiles, clothes, jewellery and other properties.

The 21-year-old singer bought a Mercedes Benz G55 AMG to bring his car collection to five. The machine which he called ‘my baby’ reportedly cost him about N21m.

Debuting back in 1979, the Gelaendewagen (“tough terrain vehicle”), or “G-Wagen” for short, was originally developed for military use as a heavy-duty four-wheel-drive conveyance. But it has since been updated and given many conveniences, luxuries and refinements.

The G55 AMG is equipped with a supercharged 5.5-litre V8 engine that pumps out 500 horsepower and 516 pound-foot of torque. Power is transmitted through a seven-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel-drive system with lockable front, centre and rear differentials. Mercedes estimates a 0-60 time of 5.4 seconds and 13 miles per gallon for fuel economy.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a five-passenger SUV that comes standard with 19-inch wheels, automatic bi-xenon headlamps, automatic wipers, rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, auto-dimming interior mirrors and sunroof. It also has dual-zone automatic climate control, power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, eight-way power front seats with power lumbar and driver memory functions, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel.

Also standard are LED running lights, turn indicators in its side mirrors, new bumper and grille, upgraded paint, interior wood trim and additional chrome body guards. It also features COMAND electronics interface, Bluetooth, a hard-drive-based navigation system with real-time traffic updates and voice controls.

Driving is fun with its six-CD/DVD changer designed to distribute sound through its Harman Kardon surround-sound stereo, a satellite radio and an iPod interface.

The American version has a fixed LCD screen mounted on top of the dash for display of the navigation system.

Safety

The G-Class comes standard with anti-lock brakes, side curtain air bags and traction and stability control. In Edmunds brake testing, the G55 AMG posted a 127-foot stop from 60 mph, an exceptional performance for such a heavy vehicle.

Interior quality is excellent, but space is a different matter. Front-seat legroom is insufficient for taller drivers, and the back-seat could use some more legroom. Centre armrest in the back would be nice too. On the upside (literally), there is no shortage of headroom, and the range of height adjustment for the power front seats is astounding.

Driving Impressions

Driving the V8 G55 is always a laugh-inducing experience – something this huge simply should not be moving so quickly. Thankfully, it does, and it’s impressive. The ride is comfortable on the highway, and only the nastiest potholes will send unpleasant impacts into the cabin.

The slow steering is a benefit in the dirt, though, as the G-Class can be guided through just about anything nature throws at it and the steering wheel rarely registers the impacts.

The G55 masks its utilitarian nature well with a comfortable highway ride, but composure suffers when it’s hustled around corners due to its tank-like mass. It can be a handful to drive in the city as well, meaning that suburbanites had better think twice before choosing it as the go-to vehicle for errands.

The Good: The G-Class strikes one as being over-engineered and virtually indestructible, and that’s only because it is.

The bad: The high step-in height, absence of side torso air bags, voracious fuel consumption and the question of whether the towering G will fit in parking garages (including your own) are some issues raised by reviewers