Mercedes Benz hints at an electric ‘baby’ G-Wagon SUV soon

German auto giant Mercedes Benz plans to introduce a smaller G-Class, popularly known as the G-Wagon SUV, soon. The 'baby' G-Class will become the fully-electric version of the carmaker's boxy off-road SUV. Ola Källenius, CEO at Mercedes-Benz, gave the hint at the ongoing Munich Auto Show when he unveiled the new CLA Concept electric vehicle over the weekend. Earlier, Mercedes had showcased a concept electric version of the G-Class when it unveiled the EQG.

Mercedes Benz CEO said the new electric G-Wagon will be a ‘fun to drive - on and off the road’ SUV. The G-Wagon is currently the most expensive model the German auto giant has on offer in any markets around the world. In India, the price of the G-Class SUV starts from ₹2.55 crore (ex-showroom).

The electric iteration of the iconic G-Class SUV was first showcased in April this year in a concept form called EQG. The pure electric SUV is claimed to come with a revolutionary technology enabling the car to have at least a 20 per cent range boost. A California-based battery material manufacturing company called Sila Nanotechnologies has joined hands with Mercedes-Benz to make silicon-based anodes for next-generation EV batteries, which will be introduced to the EQG, making it capable of increasing range and drastically, alongside reducing charging time substantially.

Christened as Titan Silicon battery materials, the EV battery technology has been in the works for several years and now finally becoming commercially viable. Mercedes-Benz is the first automaker in the world to receive this technology for its EVs, and the EQG will be the world's first-ever electric vehicle to get this revolutionary technology. Sila aims to have its Titan Silicon material powering one million electric vehicles by 2028, starting with the EQG, slated to launch in 2024.

The Mercedes-Benz EQG is expected to have a quad motor layout, each powering one wheel. This would generate a humongous amount of power output. The EQG is also anticipated to come promising more than 482 km range on a single charge, thanks to the new battery technology. The SUV could share its chassis with the ICE G-Class, which will receive a mid-life facelift later in 2023.

Mercedes-Benz is expected to keep the exterior and interior design of the production-spec EQG almost identical to the ICE-powered version. However, some distinctive styling elements would distinguish it as an EV.

Check out Upcoming EV Cars in India.