Mercedes-Benz is developing a more affordable sibling to its long-awaited G-Class electric SUV, as first reported by Electrek. The EV will be a smaller, cheaper version of its flagship G-Wagon and was confirmed this weekend at the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich. CEO Ola Kallenius said the “baby” G-Class EV will be significantly more compact than its cousin and that it will be “fun to drive.”
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This model is a spin-off of the G-Class EQG concept that was first shown at IAA Mobility 2021. German newspaper Automobilwoche reports that the company has been planning a smaller all-electric G-Wagon for several years and suggests that the variant could be called the “g-Class” with a purposeful lowercase “g.” Kallenius told CNBC that he sees the vehicle as “a daughter or son of the big G.”.
Details are scarce, but it will be based on a purely electric powertrain and should feature all-wheel drive, especially with Kallenius' assurance that it will be fun to drive. As for the promise of a cheaper G-Class vehicle, a new SUV starts at $140,000, so it shouldn't be hard to get it in for less than that. However, if the company wants mass-market adoption, a small price cut in the $100,000 to $120,000 range probably won't do the trick. Actual pricing remains a mystery.
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We'll have to wait a long time to get behind the wheel of this tiny wonder. The vehicle's powertrain is likely based on the upcoming MB.EA platform, a proprietary battery technology that Mercedes is developing. That platform likely won't appear in vehicles until 2025, which puts the smaller, cheaper G-Class EV on the road in 2026 at the earliest.
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source of information:engadget.com
