Mercedes-Benz G 450 d review: New inline six diesel adds gruntier off-road appeal

The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen is an iconic car. Whether it’s crossing the Outback or pootling down Chapel Street – as we are on this drive – it commands respect. However, the G-Wagen that most people will be familiar with in Australia is the AMG G 63 and its awesome side-mounted tailpipe – but that could change in the future thanks to the addition of the new G 450 d variant.

Aimed at those with more serious off-road aspirations, the new diesel inline six-powered G-Wagen is set to add a different character to the G-Class.

Available in either standard or ‘Offroad’ form, with the latter adding off-road tyres as standard, both are priced from $214,900 plus on-road costs.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive dampers, low-range gearing, three differential locks, a sunroof, leather upholstery, a Nappa leather steering wheel, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with the company’s ‘MBUX’ infotainment system, augmented reality sat-nav, wireless smartphone mirroring, digital radio and safety features like autonomous emergency braking with pre-accident assistance, 360-degree camera with a see-through bonnet view, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with safe exit assist and automatic parking. 

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Options include the $18,000 AMG Luxury Package with 20-inch AMG alloy wheels, silver chrome grille exterior highlights, a Nappa leather sports steering wheel and the Exclusive Line Interior; $5600 Night Package with black exterior detailing such as the wheels; an $8500 Interior Comfort Package with a rear seat entertainment system, heated windscreen, heated steering wheel and heated armrests for the front cabin; and a $15,900 Professional Exterior Package with a roof rack and spare wheel holder. The latter option makes the G 450 d look especially tough. 

The cabin of the G 450 d isn’t as racy as the AMG G 63, but it’s still high quality, comfortable and quite practical. The Nappa leather steering wheel feels excellent in hand, while the stitched leather trim around the cabin looks and feels expensive. The front seats are very comfortable with plenty of ways to adjust, though, curiously, no lumbar support. 

The 12.3-inch touchscreen with Merc’s ‘MBUX’ software is sharp and easy to use. Cabin storage is ample, though the rear seat isn’t as spacious as you might expect thanks to the G-Wagen’s packaging. Boot space is large, however, at 620 litres with the seats up and that opens to 2010 litres with the rear seats folded. 

Centre of the G 450 d is a new 3.0-litre inline six turbo-diesel engine, which makes impressive 270kW and 750Nm outputs, which are even stronger than the LC300’s 227kW/700Nm outputs. Sure, it’s not as powerful as the AMG G 63 and its monster twin-turbo V8, but it’s still a fabulous drivetrain thanks to its low-end grunt and quiet nature.

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Despite the 450 d’s porky 2621kg tare mass, it hits 100km/h in just 5.8 seconds and a top end of 220km/h – having previously driven it at top speed on the German autobahn, it feels very solid no matter how fast it’s being driven. 

The drive program for the G 450 d Australian launch rightly focused a lot on its off-road capability. Leaving Melbourne, we ventured south-east towards Neerim and through the beautiful Bunyip Sate Park, giving us plenty of opportunity to experience the G 450 d’s various talents in a variety of conditions. 

Our launch drive started on tarmac, eventually progressing to dirt roads – including, oh joy, washboard gravel – and deep mud, steep uphill sections and then back to Melbourne. Unsurprisingly, the G 450 d did not struggle once. It took it all in its stride, and would give confidence even to off-road beginners. It’s rated at 8.1L/100km for combined fuel consumption and at the end of the off-road day, recorded an impressive 10.2L/100km average.

Off-road features in the G 450 d are plentiful, from low-range gearing and three differential locks to various off-road modes and a 360-degree camera with a useful transparent bonnet mode to help manage difficult terrain. The off-road cockpit view on the 12.3-inch touchscreen is also filled with helpful off-road information, such as gradient, tilt and differential status so make off-roading as stress-free as possible.

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We were given advice to be cautious about a particularly deep mud section of the drive, but there was no need for concern: we just activated low range along with the centre differential lock and the G 450 d acted like nothing had changed. The nine-speed automatic’s short gearing helps here too: in low range, it starts in second gear and because of that – allowing for maximum grunt with no gear change in between – steep climbs are no match for the G 450 d. It’s impressive off-road stats include 700mm maximum fording depth, 31-degree approach angle and a 30-degree departure angle. 

What is most impressive about the G 450 d is that despite all hell breaking loose outside, you’re cocooned in a luxurious and well insulated cabin with effective heated and chilled cup holders.

The G 450 d’s slow, mechanical steering is a delight in an age where most cars offer almost zero connection to the driver, and the ride quality is exceptional for a car with a ladder frame and rigid rear suspension – there’s an occasional tremor, but it’s otherwise quite comfortable. Overall, the driving experience of the G 450 d is impressive.  

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Are there any negatives to the G 450 d? Well, $7880 for five years/100,000km of servicing is quite expensive, the touch pad controls on the steering wheel are fiddly and the boot door opens on the wrong side for right-hand drive markets. Plus, despite a usefully lower price relative to the previous G 400 d last sold locally in 2021 and the $368,400 AMG G 63, it’s still a considerable outlay.

In an age where most G-Wagens are driven only in town, however a new model that can actually take you into deep territory away from the main road is refreshing. It really appeals to the traditional G-Wagen ethos and while it’s not cheap, we think that buyers of higher-end LandCruisers, Defenders and even Mercedes-Benz large SUVs such as the GLE will definitely be curious about this new addition to the G-Wagen range. Some will prefer the high-performance AMG G 63, but we think the new G 450 d is the G-Wagen at its best. 

Mercedes-Benz G 450 d specifications: