The G-Wagen sweet spot has been found.
After finally (finally) renewing the G-Wagen range after a billion years, Mercedes-Benz has added a variant to the lineup that doesn’t require a modicum of insanity to own. Where the G500 & AMG G63 both use the same 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 in different states of tune, the G350d uses a 3.0-litre inline-6 turbodiesel instead.
Arguably, the G350d is the sweet spot in the range, given that the OM656 engine utilised is perhaps the best engine to power what is essentially a large, heavy, and old-school machine. The diesel G offers up 210kW and 600Nm, all of which is sent to all four wheels via a 9-speed G-Tronic automatic gearbox. A transfer case mounted directly to the transmission ensures a constant delivery of power to all four wheels, with the torque split 60:40 between the front & rear axles. 100km/h is hit in just 7.4-seconds, while fuel consumption is rated officially at 9.6L/100km.
Diesel engines aren’t known for their running refinement, and Mercedes-Benz has done the best they can by adding engineering solutions to counter the inherent nature of its oil burner. For the first time, the diesel G utilises active engine mounts to reduce the amount of vibrations transmitted into the engine. Additionally, the engine is now more willing to sustain higher crank speeds, while producing less noise and vibrations, so you can rest assured that the diesel G won’t feel at all agricultural in daily usage.
The G350d uses the same suspension layout as the variants that came before it, with a double wishbone setup up front mounted directly to the ladder-frame chassis. The rear is kept suspended by a rigid axle, with four trailing arms on either side aided by a Panhard rod.
The cabin is pretty well appointed despite being a base model (albeit of one of Merc’s most expensive cars). There’s an Artico-leather dashboard and open-pore wood trim as standard, though the options are sky-high wth the availability of Exclusive Interior Plus trim packages that can add things like diamond-quilting on the seats.
Further standard kit come in the form of Dynamic Select selectable drive modes, with each of the 5 modes changing the engine, transmission, suspension, and steering responses to offer truly different driving experiences depending on the situation you find yourself in. Additionally, Active Braking Assist (like smarter AEB) is now standard too, which goes a long way to prevent the seriousness or minimise the severity of a collision.
The G350d is already available to order in Europe, with availability set to expand through the year. As such, we’re hoping to see the G350d here before the end of the year, with local pricing & specs to be revealed closer to launch.
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