Mercedes-Benz has been dominating the luxury car market in India for a while now and that is for a reason. It has got the largest product offensive in our market be it the luxurious Benz cars or the superhot AMG models. Going forward, Mercedes seems to be keen on building up on its strength and is all set to launch the iconic G-Wagon or the G 350d in India. While the Mercedes-AMG G 63 which is the performance oriented spec of the G-Wagon has been around for some time now, it is for the first time that India will get the standard G-Wagon.
Also Read: Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon Launch Details Revealed
(It gets dual-tone interiors and a long equipment list)
The Mercedes-Benz G 350d will be powered by a 3.0-litre, inline six-cylinder motor which belts out 282 bhp and a massive 600 Nm of peak torque and will be paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Though the on road prowess and dynamics of the G 350d is not equivalent to the G63 AMG, latter being the performance oriented model, the G 350d is a potent off-roader with solid off-road equipment. It gets features like differential locks for the front and rear axle along with central differential as well. There is a permanent four-wheel drive system and gas filled shock absorbers among others.
(The Mercedes-Benz G 350d gets three differential locks along with other off-road equipment)
Going by the looks, the G 350d looks a bit subtle compared to the G 63 AMG. It has the same boxy silhouette along with almost identical overall design, but elements like the grille and bumpers have an understated appeal. On the inside too, the design and layout remain identical to the G63, but is it equipped with a dual-tone beige and black finish and customers get a choice of trim options for the inserts. That said, it is pretty well loaded in terms of equipment on the inside as well and gets Mercedes' latest 12.3-inch touchscreen which integrates the infotainment screen and instrument cluster together, long with the latest MBUX system.
Mercedes-Benz will launch the G 350d in India on October 16, 2019 and it will be sold as a completely built unit (CBU). Direct rivals? Well! The G-Wagon has none so far in the Indian market. At present, only the 2019 Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land Cruiser LC are the SUVs we can think putting against it, however, both are not as expensive as we are expecting the G 350 d to be priced around Rs. 1.20 crore (ex-showroom, India). That said, it soon may get a tough competitor from Land Rover's stable. Yes! The all-new Land Rover Defender is all set to arrive in India next year and it will be a worthy competitor to the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon.
