If you are banished to the Highlands for yet another holiday, the Mercedes G400d will bring a touch of off-road extravagance to your otherwise prosaic family trip. A redesign of the iconic G-Class, engineered in 2018, the new model makes a great addition to the German manufacturer’s catalogue. Its hardy-looking and rugged utilitarian exterior open up into typical Mercedes luxury inside – it’s “a vehicle capable of traversing a post-apocalyptic wasteland and can give you a soothing back massage while doing so”, says James Attwood in Autocar.
The car boasts a powerful three-litre, straight-six, turbo-diesel engine that can generate 700Nm of torque, so it’s more than capable of scaling any incline the Lake District has to offer. For its size, the machine will do it quickly too; hurtling all 2,489kg of its mass from rest to 62mph in just 6.4 seconds, says Sean Carson in Auto Express, and on to a top speed of 130mph. It will have no trouble tearing up the moor in every one of its nine gears or dragging a small boulder in its wake with a massive 3,500kg towing capacity.
The lavishly-lined interior, with its “diamond-quilt” leather upholstery and open-pore wooden trim, is also “an extremely nice place to spend time”, says Martin Pretorius for AutoTrader, and features a generous amount of gadgets to complement the more delicate traditional furnishings with all the mod cons. The dashboard has an infotainment system, standard operating navigation and even voice control. Fitted with a selection of ambient lighting in 64 colours, three-zone climate control and adjustable dynamic front seats that remember how you like to sit and counteract lateral forces when cornering, going for a drive starts to feel more like a spa day than piloting a typical SUV.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
It’ll cost you a fair bit more than your average spa day, however. The most basic model costs £101,565. That asking price seems “less lamentable” when you consider that it’s built almost entirely by hand in a bespoke facility and undercuts similar luxury SUVs, including the offerings from Bentley and Maserati, says South Africa’s Car Mag. It also provides the most “mesmerising 4X4 experience” you can buy.
-
The rise of Robin Zeng: China’s billionaire battery kingRobin Zeng, a pioneer in EV batteries, is vying with Li Ka-shing for the title of Hong Kong’s richest person. He is typical of a new kind of tycoon in China
-
Europe's forgotten equities offer value and growthOpinion Jonathon Regis, co-portfolio manager, Developed Markets UCITS Strategy, Lansdowne Partners, highlights forgotten equities he'd put his money in
-
How to invest in the travel industry's boom as tourists get back on the roadThe travel industry is in rude health despite uncertainty about the global economy, Trump’s policies and geopolitical concerns. Investors should buy in now
-
Review: an adventure through the Swiss Alps to Lake Como on the Bernina ExpressTravel Louise Okafor stays at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland and the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Italy
-
Car finance mis-selling judgment could be a big blow for the banksOpinion The car finance mis-selling judgment could still be disastrous for big finance even though banks dodged the worst possible outcome
-
8 of the best houses for sale with dining terracesThe best houses for sale with dining terraces – from an Arts & Crafts property in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, to a duplex apartment in a garden square in Kensington with a decked roof terrace
-
Take a look under the bonnet of the classic car marketDearer money has taken the momentum out of the classic car market, says Chris Carter
-
8 of the best properties for sale with librariesWe look at eight of the best properties for sale with libraries – from an 1860s baronial mansion in Fife, Scotland, to a Grade II-listed manor in Gloucestershire with a library with flagstone floors and oak columns
-
8 of the best houses for sale with home cinemasHouses for sale with home cinemas – from a modern oast-house style property in Kent to a house in Buckinghamshire with Dolby sound and bespoke seating
-
8 of the best energy-efficient properties for saleThe best energy-efficient properties for sale – from a HUF HAUS in London’s Dulwich Village to a contemporary property in the Lake District National Park
