We know Mercedes has been working on the electric G-Class for a while. In late 2020, the automaker announced the G-Class would get an all-electric variant. A concept debuted in 2021, but the production version won’t arrive until the 2024 model year. Development continues on the SUV, with a new spy video capturing the boxy off-roader testing in the snow.
Our most recent EQG spy shots showed the SUV beginning to lose some of the camouflage that hid its design. However, the test vehicle in the video above is wearing an inventive, full-body blue wrap. It looks very similar to the concept, which looked much like the regular G-Class, which extends to other aspects of the SUV.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz EQG New Winter Spy Photos
Our spy photographers have already captured the EV’s interior, and it looks similar to the interior one would find on the gas-powered equivalent. There are EV-specific touches, like fewer physical controls and dedicated buttons for certain functions, but the layout is the same. The example also had a flat-bottom steering wheel, possibly indicating it was one of the performance variants, which are harder to identify without AMG’s quad tailpipes sticking out the back.
We don’t have all the powertrain details yet, but we know the SUV will have a quad-motor setup – one at each wheel. This will allow the EQG to perform a tank turn. We know the model will ride on a modified ladder-frame chassis designed to fit the EQ battery and electric motors, which Mercedes will protect with carbon-Kevlar underbody panels. However, specifics about the power output and range remain a mystery.
We’re likely still several months away from the EQG’s reveal. The electric G-Class will reportedly go on sale sometime in 2024, so we should see it break cover before the end of the year as the automaker continues to expand its EV lineup. The EQG isn’t the model’s official name, and a report indicates that Mercedes might retire the EQ branding for its vehicles, starting with the electric G-Class as EVs move into the mainstream.
