Mercedes-Benz Confirms Baby G-Wagen
It’s official: a “baby” Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen will officially join the G-Class lineup in the near future. The announcement was made by the silver brand's CEO, Ola Källenius, during the unveiling of the electric Mercedes-CLA concept at the Munich Motor Show earlier this week. The news comes at a time when the electric model (EQG) is in the testing phase and is scheduled to launch scheduled for 2024.
"It's a G-Class with an electric motor, it’s not an electric vehicle with a G-Class badge. Even if it sounds the same, there are important differences," said Dr. Emmerich Schiller, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz G GmbH and head of the Off-Road Vehicle Products division, about the “full size” EQG during an interview with The Car Guide.
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The G-Class is inevitably unique and at odds with the brand's other models, with its imposing stature and vastly enhanced performance, not to mention its exceptional off-road capabilities. But it serves very specific types of buyers. If, according to brand representatives, only 10% of G-Class owners use their vehicle for off-road adventures, it's reasonable that the G is a status symbol most of the time. And to perpetuate this prestigious symbol, its electric version needs to offer the same presence as the gasoline-powered models, as well as being to deliver in the wild when it is tasked to do so. This is equally true of any vehicle that joins the range, such as a smaller model.
A Compact, Most Likely Electric G-Wagen
The brand has been rather discreet concerning specifications of this little newcomer to the lineup. But if the brand's electrification ambitions are anything to go by, it's safe to assume that this new G won't run on gas. Its design will be subject to the same challenges as the EQG, namely aerodynamics, weight and power.
Regarding aero, designers claim to have greatly improved the regular EQG, without abandoning the gas-powered model’s boxy look. As for weight, we know that the full-size EQG will weigh less than 3.5 tons, so expect the baby G to be much lighter than that.
Finally, the full-size EQG will have four motors connected to a very large battery that will be completely sealed, enabling it to retain its wading capability. We can assume that the baby G will sport similar mechanical properties.
Information on this new member of the Mercedes-Benz G family is expected to trickle out over the coming months.