The electric G-Wagen is inching closer to production and Mercedes-Benz is ready to put EV fans in a spin. For CES 2024, the automotive marque gatecrashed the famous Las Vegas strip by dropping an army of EQG prototypes onto the tarmac, each performing a bizarre ritual dubbed the ‘G-Turn’. The upcoming electric G-Wagen’s unique party trick sees the vehicle complete a 720-degree turn by having the four electric motors send power to the wheels to go in the opposite direction – although Mercedes-Benz does not recommend doing so on public roads!
The new Mercedes-Benz EQG prototypes also indicate that the electric version will retain the iconic and much-loved design attributes, such as the boxy silhouette and typical upright stance. That said, the EQG cops a blanked-off grille with aero-optimised bumpers and different wheels. The trademark spare wheel wedged at the back has also been replaced by a storage box for the charging cable.
Importantly, Mercedes-Benz is keen to preserve its off-road origins and appeal, evidenced by the fact that it is not a bespoke electric platform, unlike other EQ cars. Instead, it sits on a heavily modified ladder-frame chassis, retaining much of the original architecture.
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Under the food, a massive 108.4kWh battery pack will serve up enough range to make it go further while four electric motors with four low-range transfer boxes will ensure enough oomph to match its G63 V8 sibling. However, don’t go expecting as much range as the swoopy EQS or the EQE as the boxy EQG just isn’t an aerodynamic shape- something Mercedes is happy to sacrifice in order to keep its legions of fans happy.
Inside, we expect Mercedes to take the luxury quotient up a notch with a smaller version of its ‘hyper screen’ and more technology while still maintaining the charm of the G-Wagen. There would be new screens and a different instrument cluster along with more space.
The electric G-Wagen will come along with an update for the standard G-Class too which will continue to be sold to satiate the insatiable demand for this brutish off-roader. The EQG will show up in production form later this year with sales starting from next year.
