Mercedes-Benz G 400d India Review: G Wagen In Its Purest Form

Mercedes-Benz G 400d India Review: The G-Class or G Wagen is a military off-roader turned go-anywhere luxury that commands a price of Rs 2.5 crore.

By : Somnath Chatterjee | Updated at : 25 Dec 2023 08:26 PM (IST)

Mercedes-Benz G 400d India

Source : Somnath Chatterjee

There are some cars that stay separate from current trends while having a vast fan following due to the images or even the road presence that they bring. The G-Class or G Wagen falls into that category as buyers line up with chequebooks in hand to buy this military off-roader turned go-anywhere luxury that commands a price of Rs 2.5 crore. First of all, this is a modern-day avatar of a 70s off-roader. The focus here is the ability to go anywhere and hence, the G Wagen is a ladder frame chassis beast like all proper off-roaders and has some proper old-school touches that make it stand out.

We drove the newest version called the G 400d Adventure edition to see all of the hype. First of all, the G 400d is tall and boxy with proper old-school muscle and this Adventure edition is even cooler with a roof rack, ladder, and a full-size spare wheel holder. It sits on smaller wheels than the AMG Line versions but it looks even better. It has the look of taking you anywhere but in typical comfort.

Open the heavy doors and you first see that the door locks operate with a sound as if you are closing a bank vault. Everything feels solid. The G 400d that we drove came with heated and cooled seats while the seats themselves are finished in soft Nappa leather.

That is in contrast to the high-set driving position which gives you a view unlike anything else. The G 400d is an off-roader and that means it can go anywhere but in the city even you are actually surprised by the quiet the 330hp/700Nm 3.0l diesel is and how responsive it is while the ride is not as bouncy as you would expect it to be. The road presence is next level though and it gets more attention than a supercar even.

To drive, it is not as fast as the G63 but puts a smile on your face for displaying a sense of authority over bad roads and having a large torque rush which is typical of a diesel. The toughness on the other hand comes from the suspension while the 241mm ground clearance is also huge along with a floodproof 700mm water wading capacity. Unlike most luxury SUVs, this is something that you can really take across for some hardcore off-roading and not being fragile.

For its price, the G 400d is not very practical with limited luggage and not having the latest Mercedes technology but this diesel engine is simply amongst the most quiet and responsive while giving enough range to take it far and across to properly enjoy it. Most owners would just drive it to enjoy its road presence and for that alone, the G Wagen has a large fan base.

What we like - Looks, build quality, engine, performance, toughness

What we do not like - expensive, lacks luggage space