Local vehicle armouring specialist, SVI Engineering, has been appointed as the official distributor of Brabus Automotive armoured products in Africa, starting with the Invicto Mercedes-Benz G-Class range, says SVI Engineering business development manager Nicol Louw.

“We have been manufacturing armoured vehicles since 2004 and have a number of security, commercial and military clients.”

Clients interested in the Invicto will typically buy a standard G-Class from Mercedes-Benz, with the vehicle then shipped to Brabus Automotive, in Bottrop Germany, where it is altered to become an armoured vehicle, with the finished product then shipped back to South Africa.

“This has proved to be more cost-effective in terms of this range,” says Louw.

“We are responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle, but specialists can also fly in from abroad should it prove necessary.”

Louw believes SIV Engineering can sell around five units a year of the Invicto range in the African market.

Customers can choose between the Pure, Luxury and Mission models.

The Pure offers AK47, plus explosion protection, while the exterior and interior of the vehicle remain as close to series production as possible, which means it is less likely to stand out in a crowd.

The Luxury has the same level of protection but offers a higher level of comfort and individualisation. This derivative offers a tailormade and handcrafted interior in leather or Alcantara, as well as exterior components and performance upgrades from the Brabus accessory programme. 

The Mission, also offering automatic weapon plus blast protection, is made for groups such as special forces. Here the vehicle offers protection-vest compatible integral seats with variable foam geometry, a roof rail system, a digital rear display mirror, an Acetech vehicle intelligence system with two touch control panels, an intercom system and 20-inch rough profile off-road tyres, among other features.

Brabus Automotive describes the Invicto Mission as “the perfect trace protection and escort vehicle with military compatible interior and special exterior features”.

For each Invicto model, customers can select a number of accessories, including a lighting and signal system, auxiliary roof lights, a fire extinguishing system, an infrared package which includes a night vision device, a fresh-air system with filter and an escape hatch, just to mention a few.

The added weight of the overall vehicle owing to the armour plating is around 1 ton, with the load-bearing capacity of the chassis modified to meet driving dynamics and life-span requirements. 

Wheels with increased load-bearing capacity and a special run-flat system round off the chassis adjustments on the vehicle.

Maximum performance for the G-Class G63 can be increased by opting for a Brabus performance kit. 

In addition to a bump in peak torque from 850 Nm to 1 000 Nm, this system sees a 158 kW jump in the rated output, from 430 kW to 588 kW. 

Pricing for the Pure and Luxury models starts from R5.4-million, with the Mission’s price tag starting at R6.2-million.

The price excludes the base vehicle, shipping and taxes, and the exchange rate is an estimate.

Brabus Automotive offers a two-year/100 000 km warranty.