MERCEDES-BENZ G 450d AMG LINE

The middle child has a better understanding of the family business.

- WORDS ROHIT PARADKAR

With the G 450d, Mercedes-Benz now has three G-Wagen powertrains in India for a limited time.

Think of the G 63 as Godzilla: loud, thirsty, and dramatic. The G 580 electric is Greta: clean and quiet (though not that silent). The new G 450d is the quietly competent middle sibling, the one you can trust the most.

And before you say, “That middle-sibling analogy doesn’t work in the country of ‘Hum doh, humara ek,” remember - nobody with a G-Wagen has a one-car garage. Or a single-child policy.

The G 450d is wise, powerful, and still fully capable of causing chaos when pushed. It doesn't need to show off at every turn. But when the time comes, it can handle a mountain and keep going as if nothing happened.

Now, rewind a few months. I called the G 580 the best all-rounder in the G-Wagen family. Big torque, clever off-road wizardry, respectable range, and guilt-free emissions. A perfect blend, right?

Right, except nobody actually lined up to buy one. Maybe it was the price. Maybe it was the lack of excitement. Maybe India’s G-Wagen fans just aren't ready for a quieter ride. Either way, the G 580’s fate is set as a limited-run experiment. That brings us to the G 450d, which has Mercedes-Benz’s most powerful diesel engine ever in their most iconic body-on-frame design. It's as if they said, “Fine. You want the old ways? Here. But refined.”

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