MERCEDES-BENZ G450d

At nearly Rs 3 crore, does the G450d offer enough beyond its iconic image to justify daily use in India, or is it still an indulgence driven purely by emotion?

- ABHINAV JAKHAR

Few cars carry history the way the Mercedes-Benz G-Class does.

Fewer still manage to wear that history so visibly. One glance at that upright stance, the flat panels, the exposed hinges, and you know exactly what you are looking at. What is remarkable is how little it has changed since 1979. Born as a military machine, the G-Class was engineered to be robust, dependable, and uncompromising. Luxury was never the priority. Yet over four decades, it has evolved into a symbol of opulence and desirability without ever letting go of its original brief. That balance is not easy to achieve, and even harder to maintain. It must be said, Mercedes-Benz puts a whole new meaning to thinking inside the box.

In India, the diesel variants have always felt like the more sensible expression of the G. Visually, Mercedes-Benz has resisted the temptation to overstyle the G. The updates are minimal. A revised grille, updated steering wheel and subtle tweaks to the bumpers. There are new 20-inch AMG wheels to add to that list as well. Moreover, there are three different flavours of this legendary SUV - G450d, G580, which is the electric and costs Rs 20 lakh more than the former and full-fat AMG G 63, which retails at Rs 3.74 crore (ex-showroom).