Mercedes-Benz will preview the long-mooted electrification of its Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV with a concept at the Munich motor show that will spearhead the roll-out of a 4x4 sub-brand.
It has been nearly two years since CEO Ola Källenius confirmed that the Magna-built Land Rover Defender rival – launched in 1979 as the G-Wagen – would gain an allelectric variant, also predicting that “the last Mercedes built will be a G-Class”.
Mercedes Concept EQG revealed at Munich
A production version is due in 2024, by which point most of the mainstream models in the Mercedes line-up will be available with electric power.
The Munich show car is expected to reveal how the G-Class will be restyled and reconfigured for the electric age, with design and interior cues that closely preview the final production model – much like how 2019’s Vision EQS concept proved a prelude to the new EQS luxury limousine.
Given how subtly the G-Class has evolved since its arrival 42 years ago, it is unlikely that Mercedes will reinvent its characteristically rugged two-box design, but a host of new styling cues that bring it into line with other EQ-badged models are expected.
A new-shape, one-piece front grille will be the chief differentiator over the ICE-powered car, as is the case for the GLB-based EQB, but new wheel designs and light clusters and a revamped rear end will help to distinguish the EQG from the G-Class.
The EQG’s off-road potential was demonstrated in 2020 by the EQC 4x4² concept – an outlandish one-off reworking of Mercedes’ first bespoke EV, which served as a technical showcase for a family of new electric off-roaders that the firm will sell under its newly formed G sub-brand.
Raised suspension and chunky black lower-body trim were the obvious visual giveaways, but it was the ground clearance-enhancing portal axles (lifted from the jacked-up G500 4x4²) and increased track widths that transformed the luxury-focused EQC into a capable off-roader and most heavily previewed the capabilities of the EQG.
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Mercedes getting worried about the explosive sales of the defender across Europe, meaning it's time to move on. Ignore comments from the people who cannot tell the difference between the defender and discovery, the first letter causes them problems.
I hope this time round, as an EV, Mercedes would show some initiative and not slavishly copies itself.
The present G class is not retro (it lacks any creative thinking, it lacks any interpretation). It's merely a slavish copy of the previous model. Null point.