RM1 million buys you this much more 'sensible' Mercedes G-Wagen
Do you find the W464 generation G63 AMG abit, err… much? Well then, you might be glad to know that amidst the new GLB-Class launch event earlier today, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) also took the opportunity at previewing a new variant of the G-Class locally.
Yep, you can now opt for a much more ‘sensible’ – if you could call it that – flavour of the almighty Gelandewagen, or what we all affectionately know as the G-Wagen. Best of all, things don’t look too shabby when we sized up the new G350d earlier today.
As you can probably guess, this version of the G-Wagen gets a 3.0-litre straight-six turbodiesel heart, which delivers 281bhp and 600Nm of twist, the latter from as low as 1,200rpm. In case you were wondering, MBM says you’d best be feeding this lump with Euro 5 diesel.
Mated to that heart is a combination of Merc’s signature 9-speed automatic and 4MATIC all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, the latter providing a 40:60 front-to-rear split. Performance is respectable too, with 0-100kph done in a claimed 7.4 secs whilst enroute towards its 199kph V-max.
Whilst here, we’ll also point out that the G350d comes brimmed with five selectable drive modes through its Dynamic Select suite. This works in tandem with the active damping and active engine mount present on board, which should add plenty of versatility for any and all occasions.
In terms of spec, the Malaysian-flavoured G350d get the AMG Line, AMG Night Package, Stainless Steel plus Exclusive exterior-interior trim combinations. Highlights include 20-inch alloys, darker smoked lights, blacked-out grille, bumper trim and spare wheel cover, not forgetting red seatbelts and stitching in the seats and steering.
Yep, this variant of the G-Wagen isn’t too far off in terms of spec from the range-topping G63 AMG variant. It comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect from the three-pointed star’s arsenal, including a number of semi-autonomous driver aids and a thumping Burmester surround sound hi-fi.
If all this looks and sounds good to you, then the next bit might not be surprising. Like its size, the G350d commands an equally gargantuan price tag of RM999,888 excluding insurance cost. Yep, its almost RM500k less than the flagship V8-packing AMG one, but it’s clearly a much more obtainable G-Wagen at that…