Wut up, G?

If you’re not blinded by bling, the 400d might just be the coolest Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen

In a not so distant past, an offroad vehicle was distinguishable by its upright look and generous ground clearance. These days, it’s a bit harder to tell what will go well in the rough stuff, as SUVs of all shapes and sizes have the automotive industry firmly in its grip.

But throughout the age of the SUV, there are three off-roaders that have stayed true to their roots, all from different countries.

In England, you’ve got Land Rover’s Defender and Japan has the iconic Toyota Land Cruiser, but neither of these seem to command the same respect as the legendary Gelandewagen.

If you aren’t familiar with that name, you might know Mercedes’ beastly SUV as the G-Wagen, or the G-Class, but none of it matters when you’re behind the wheel of this German behemoth.

This isn’t the range-topping AMG variant of the G-Class lineup. Instead, it’s the “regular” Mercedes-Benz model that gets a sensible diesel engine instead of the snarling twin-turbo V8.

I’m a firm believer that this G400d fills a very different role to the G63, which is why you probably won’t be seeing many of these diesel- powered offroaders on Instagram.

The biggest update in the G-Class range has seen the G350d get replaced with the G400d. It’s nothing to do with the actual hardware beneath the bonnet, but instead simply a software update that increases power and torque output.

The 3.0-litre straight-six turbo diesel engine is now good for

243kW/700Nm, with the latter figure doing wonders to get the

2.5-tonne SUV up to speed. In terms of performance, it will despatch the 0-100km/h sprint in

6.4 seconds, and carry on to a top speed of 210km/h — if you’re brave enough, that is.

On the road, the G-Class can be likened to a big rolling couch. While you can feel the weight of the SUV, the suspension soaks up bumps with ease, and seems to lumber around without a care in the world. Though it’s not as pronounced as the G63, the entire body squats back on the chassis when the accelerator is buried; but it adds to the fun of it all.

As you’d expect from a trueblue off-roader, the real fun starts when the tarmac ends. With the new update, Mercedes introduced a drive mode called Desert, and it makes a significant difference to how the G-Wagen handles.

Once this mode is selected, the suspension stiffens up, and most driving aids are switched off.

Drivers are then able to make use of the three locking differentials, which puts the G-Class at an advantage over its off-roading rivals. Having control of the front, rear, and centre differentials means that traction should never become an issue, even in the loosest terrain.

As a whole, this G400d was by far the most confident vehicle I have ever driven off-road, and even without dedicated off-road rubber, the SUV never felt out of its depth.

On the inside, the G-Class is just as lavish as the outside, with a generous helping of leather throughout the cabin, and more than enough space to swing a bratwurst. Unlike the Defender, Mercedes has stuck to a five-seat layout in the G-Class, which means that it gets an enormous cargo area behind the second row of seats. While a litre figure would be more traditional here, I just want you to know that I got a whole mountain bike with both wheels on in there.

There are a couple of aspects that would irk me daily if I were a Bitcoin millionaire.

Though it features Mercedes’ impressive dual-screen displays, it doesn’t have any touchscreen functionality, which is a weird thing to skip these days.

Drivers will get used to it with time, but it seems somewhat frustrating that it features in a $60,000 A-Class, but not the brand’s flagship SUV. It’s down to age, of course: the G-Wagen predates Merc’s latest models, so the tech isn’t quite up there (although it certainly looks very modern).

However, the old-school doorhandles and heavily sealed apertures that require a hard slam of the doors are a very deliberate nod to the model’s long history.

The G400d is still an epic allround drive. It could well be the most comfortable vehicle on the road, and will perform like a mountain goat when taken offroad.

In big metros like Auckland, sheer size could prove to be an issue when parking and manoeuvring in tight spaces, but that’s just part of #gclass life, right? By skipping the G63 in favour of the G400d, you’d be doing yourself (and the planet) a favour.