Mercedes-AMG’s answer to the Lotus Eletre and upcoming electric Porsche Cayenne will be launched in two years and be one of the most powerful cars the brand has ever produced.
Currently known as the electric GT SUV – a name it is understood could be carried into production – the super-SUV has hit the road in prototype form for the first time and the production version is set to reach UK forecourts in 2027. It is the first SUV that AMG has developed independent of parent Mercedes-Benz.
The EV will sit on the AMG.EA architecture, which will be used first for a four-door production version of the Vision AMG concept in 2026. AMG.EA will feature 800V and advanced axial-flux electric motors in both twin and tri set-ups, with outputs well over 1000bhp expected to be offered.
Developed by Yasa, the Oxfordshire-based firm owned by Mercedes-Benz, these motors each develop up to 480bhp and 590lb ft and are seen by AMG as a key performance differentiator for its new SUV. Among the performance benchmarks for the new AMG model is the 906bhp Lotus Eletre R.
AMG’s dedicated SUV will be heavily focused on road-going performance but insiders have told Autocar it will offer variable ride height control to improve ground clearance in off-road use.
As for styling, prototypes reveal that its bold-looking design will incorporate elements that provide clear visual connections with its saloon sibling.
The front end is also set to feature a new interpretation of AMG’s Panamericana grille, together with distinctive headlights that include the three-pointed star graphics.
Flared wheel arches and wide rear haunches dominate the flanks, while retractable door handles – as seen on the EQE SUV and EQS SUV – increase aerodynamic efficiency.
Although AMG’s existing combustion-engined GLE-based models come in both SUV and SUV-coupé bodystyles, its new electric model will be offered solely in SUV form, with a “relatively upright tailgate and angled rear window” providing “the best balance between form and load-carrying space”, insiders have told Autocar.
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