The year was 2012 when Mercedes unveiled this futuristic-looking Ener-G-Force concept and rhetorically asked whether the G-Class would still be around in 2025. It most certainly will, with a purely electric EQG to boot. As a matter of fact, the family could grow to include another member if we were to rely on a new report published by this week by the German business paper Handelsblatt. Apparently, the three-pointed star wants to launch a baby G.
CEO Ola Källenius is believed to be the driving force behind a smaller G-Class that could be out as early as 2026. It allegedly won't go by the name of GLG, nor will it be mechanically related to its bigger brother. Instead of using the same body-on-frame platform, the downsized G is believed to ride on Mercedes' new MMA architecture debuting in 2024. The underpinnings will be used for the next-generation CLA / CLA Shooting Brake, GLA, and GLB.
2012 Mercedes Ener-G-Force concept
That would make the more compact G-Class a unibody crossover, similar to the relationship between the Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport. Consequently, it wouldn't be able to match the off-road chops of the legendary Geländewagen. The same source mentions the new G flavor wouldn't be that much smaller lengthwise but would have a significantly lowered ride height, so less ground clearance along with worse approach and departure angles.
In an interview with Motor1.com in April 2022, Christoph Starzynski, Mercedes-Benz vice president of development for electric drive said MMA will be an EV-first platform but not EV-exclusive. He went on to mention compromises will be made on the ICE side. The petite G is believed to come with both combustion engines and electric drivetrains.
MMA is being engineered to support 800V for fast charging, better batteries, and a new MB.OS software for cars that will be at least 4.5 meters (177 inches) long. These vehicles will be part of Mercedes' "Entry Luxury" class and will use the lessons learned in aerodynamics during the development of the Vision EQXX concept. However, we're not expecting the smaller G-Class to have a sleek body since logic tells us it'll be boxy like the real G.
