The baby G-Class gives Mercedes a foothold in the popular rugged crossover market
Compact SUV to sit on CLA platform with ICE and EV power and will be fifth ‘Entry Luxury’ model
Mercedes-Benz will launch a baby Mercedes G-Class model within the “next few years”, positioned as a flagship for its new family of ‘Entry Luxury’ models.
Confirmed by the brand’s CEO Ola Källenius at the Munich motor show, the currently dubbed “little G” will arrive as “a son or daughter of the iconic big G”.
“It will be worth the wait”, he told Bloomberg at the unveiling of the new CLA concept.
READ MORE: Mercedes CLA concept previews 466-mile EV saloon for 2025
Although full details are yet to be confirmed, the baby G-Class is expected to arrive in 2026 as the brand’s fifth ‘Entry Luxury’ model, joining four others – one the new Mercedes-Benz CLA – being launched over the next three years.
It will offer both electric and combustion powertrains, made available as the compact SUV would sit on the same versatile Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) platform as the upcoming CLA. It will, like the CLA, offer rear- and four-wheel drive options in certain markets.
This platform will be different to the full-sized electric EQG which will use a reworked version of the existing combustion G-Class’s ladder-frame chassis.
As well as giving Mercedes a foothold in the increasingly popular rugged crossover market – joining the inbound Jeep Avenger, Mini Aceman and the Ford Explorer – the baby Mercedes-Benz G-Class would be crucial in establishing ‘G’ as a Mercedes sub-brand in the same vein as Maybach and AMG, building on the success of its blocky Land Rover Defender rival.
Källenius said last year: “Most luxury companies build their portfolio on the basis of one or two true icons. Mercedes-Benz has the good fortune to have multiple iconic products and brands at the upper end of its portfolio, such as the S-Class, the SL, the G-Class as well as the AMG and Maybach brands.
“We see great potential here to expand our top-end portfolio with even more fascinating products.”
His comments hint at the possibility for each of those four brands to spawn more comprehensive line-ups.
Like the upcoming CLA, the new compact SUV would have an 800V architecture that can top up 248 miles of range in just 15 minutes via a 250kW charger.
It will likely also be fitted with a new type of electric motor developed and produced in house – the CLA will debut it. In the saloon, outputs range from a 201bhp entry-level rear-wheel-drive variant, up to a 536bhp dual-motor AMG model.
Given its imminent arrival, the baby G-Class is expected to follow its CLA saloon sibling in offering a choice of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt-Oxide (NMC) batteries, with energy capacity of between 58kWh and 85kWh.
In the CLA, this is good for up to 466 miles of range, but this is expected to drop a tad given the G-Class’s boxy proportions.
A mild-hybrid combustion version could be offered but Mercedes may opt against this in some markets, as the new ‘G’ sub-brand is about providing an “unparalleled combination of luxury and off-road ability for electric vehicles”, according to the firm’s boss of off-road vehicles, Emmerich Schiller.
