As the first diesel variant of the new Mercedes
G-Class reaches European dealerships, word has it that there’s another, more
powerful diesel engine in the pipeline. With 286 PS and 600 Nm of torque from a 2.9-liter inline six-cylinder, the G350d isn’t
exactly lacking in power. After all, it covers the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of 199 km/h.
However, Mercedes-Benz seems to believe a more powerful diesel powertrain is
needed.
Browsing through German insurance company HUK
Coburg’s data, MBPassionBlog has discovered a listing for a G400d model. In the
entry, the engine features the same displacement of 2,925-cc as the G350d. That
pretty much means it’s the same OM 656 inline six-cylinder turbodiesel offered
in a higher state of tune of 330 PS. The torque rating isn’t listed,
but in the GLE 400d 4Matic the same engine delivers 700 Nm.
While the Mercedes-Benz G400d hasn’t been officially
confirmed yet, the fact that it is listed in insurance databases is a strong
indicator it is coming. Thanks to the additional 44 PS and 100 Nm, the G400d should deliver improved acceleration and top speed
performance.
More importantly, average fuel consumption isn’t
expected to take a big hit compared to the G350d which is officially rated at
9.8-9.6 liters/100 km (28.8-29.4 mpg UK) and 259-252 g/km CO2 NEDC. That should
make the G400d a favorite among European customers who want more performance
than the G350d can offer, but aren’t willing to go for the thirsty G500 (sold
as G550 in North America) V8 gasoline model.
