Nearly Indestructible, Not Nearly As Fast

If you’ve witnessed the MercedesAMG G63 letting out a series of loud, harried burbles from its side exhausts, screaming past you while looking like a brick-wall on wheels, and you’d fondly hoped for a less expensive option to own this iconic, ‘mental’ SUV, then let me nudge you in the direction of the new G350d.

- S.MURALIDHAR

I doubt that the G63 will be available in the pre-owned market. At a third off the price of the AMG you can lay your hands on the G350d, making it one of the best alternate options. Yes, you won’t get the Biturbo V8 petrol engine, and instead will have to be content with an inline six-cylinder diesel, but there is still a lot of the rest of the G-Wagen still intact in this lower priced option.

The G350d was inducted into Mercedes’ India portfolio late last year and it was meant to help fans of the G-Wagen get their share of heaven without having to empty their purses. Well, starting at about ₹1.5 crore, you’d still need to loosen your purse strings considerably, but then, after all, the G-Class is the most unique model from the three-pointed star. You could be viewing one from 30 years ago parked next to the current model and wonder what’s changed. The timelessness of this design is better appreciated today after it has cast its spell over buyers for more than 40 years and has become one of the most copied designs in the car industry. It looks like a tank from one angle, a brick wall from another and a luxury sports utility from yet another. And the most appealing of all is the ludicrous 190kmph that you could be doing on the autobahn while piloting the G-Wagen.

Design