The press release on the “new” Unimog reads, “A German legend returns …” Legend indeed, but the “return” bit is somewhat puzzling because in many ways one of the most legendary off-road vehicles of all time never really left.

However, the “new” Unimog (“UNIversal-Motor-Gerät” – Gerät being German for “machine”) revealed locally recently has been on the global market for four years, so perhaps that explains it. 

It may be a “new” Unimog, but its superior off-road capabilities are still the same, thanks to its pneumatically selectable four-wheel drive offering eight forward and six reverse gears. You can even inflate or deflate the tyres from inside the cabin.

The power output of the three models (the U 3000, U 4000 and U 5000) ranges from 110-160 kW.

The Unimog will probably primarily be used in fire-fighting, disaster relief and as a chassis for expedition vehicles, but for personal use you can have it kitted out to your individual requirements (you can even get it in pink. Seriously.)

The entry-level model starts at R1.2 million (the same price as a Porsche 911 Carrera 4).