TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto has expressed his desire for a new presidential vehicle. With a distinctive hand gesture, he requested a specialized car featuring a glass dome design that would allow him to be visible as he greets citizens on the streets.
"The one that has a seat but makes it look like I am standing," he said in a video that went viral on social media following his working visit to Nganjuk, East Java, on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Prabowo has tasked state-owned arms manufacturer PT Pindad with the manufacturing. The design requested by the President evokes several Popemobile models—vehicles typically used by the highest leaders of the Catholic Church when meeting the public, whether in the Vatican or during international apostolic visits.
The Popemobile was equipped with bulletproof windows and glass domes, often reinforced with specialized plastics, following the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in Rome in 1981. Since then, these vehicles have been fitted with steel plates and a step on the rear bumper, allowing security personnel to stand and accompany the leader throughout the journey.
Among the current lineup of vehicles matching the design described by Prabowo is a modified Mercedes-Benz G580. This model notably serves as the first electric car used by a Pope, with the 'G-Wagen' appearing prominently during the world tour for the Jubilee Year of 2025.
The electric motors in the Mercedes G580 are specifically calibrated to allow the vehicle to crawl safely through dense crowds. Inside the glass dome, reports from NBC News and The Telegraph indicate that cool air is provided by an ultra-powerful air conditioning system.
The rear cabin features a single main seat positioned in the center. This seat is height-adjustable and equipped with a microphone, allowing the Pope to deliver messages directly to the crowd. Furthermore, the dome includes a retractable roof for versatile use.
Mercedes-Benz presented this car, valued at roughly half a million dollars, or approximately Rp8.8 billion, to Pope Francis in December 2024, and it has since been inherited by Pope Leo XIV. In practice, a Pope may choose a different vehicle or even proceed on foot. To date, dozens of automotive manufacturers have modified specialized units for papal operations.
Read: Prabowo on New Military Assets: We Aim to Strengthen National Power
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