Mercedes confirms smaller G-Class SUV

Mercedes-Benz will bring an all-new rugged SUV, which will look like the popular G-Class, in the coming years. Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, officially confirmed the little G's arrival at the Munich motor show as a 'son or daughter of the iconic big G', as previously revealed by our sister publication Autocar UK.

1. The 'baby G' to make its debut by 2026
2. Mercedes will develop a new platform for the SUV
3. Will be offered with multiple powertrains

The 'little G': what we know so far

With the imminent arrival of the Mercedes EQG – the all-electric variant of the iconic G-Class SUV – next year, the plans for a downsized G-Class don't really come as a surprise as the German marque aims to bolster its SUV lineup. The ‘baby G-Class’ will make its debut in 2026. Mercedes already has a platform in place for entry-level, compact vehicles starting with the new CLA, called Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA), but the ‘little G’ will sit on its own unique platform in order to offer enhanced off-road capabilities. The SUV will be offered with both internal combustion engine (ICE) and all-electric powertrains and four-wheel drive. Mercedes may also offer the 'baby G' as a plug-in hybrid in some markets.

The new (relatively) small SUV will boast an 800V electrical architecture, allowing for about 400km of range to be added in 15 minutes through a 250kW charger. Mercedes-Benz plans to offer the baby G-Class with both lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) and lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) batteries, with capacities of between 58kWh and 85kWh.

As for its segment positioning, Mercedes chief designer Gorden Wagener, said, “It will be further up in the market than a compact car. I’m not here to talk about price, but segment-wise, it will probably be above a C-segment car.”  Speaking about the design, Wagner told our sister publication Autocar UK that the new little G will have design cues from the 'Iconic G'. “It will have its own character, but it will be a G,” he said. While it may be a new platform, it will be heavily based on the EQG's platform.

Will the 'little G' come to India?

As of now, there's no official confirmation regarding its arrival in India or its exact release. Mercedes-Benz already has a rich ensemble of vehicles in their India portfolio, such as the G-Class, and also offers all-electric vehicles such as the EQS limousine and the EQB all-electric SUV.