Mercedes-Benz‘s upcoming baby G-Class may share plenty of DNA with the iconic G-Class, but the company doesn’t want buyers to think of it as simply a smaller version.
Speaking at Mercedes-Benz’s 140 Festival in Stuttgart, Mercedes-AMG CEO Stefan Weckbach said the smaller off-roader will target a completely different audience.
“We will make sure that the little G-Class will target a different segment,” Weckbach told media, adding that it “won’t target the real G customer.”
That doesn’t mean the compact SUV will lose the character that makes the G-Class special. Weckbach confirmed it will retain some of its bigger sibling’s genes and have “very good off-road capability.”
Prototypes have already been spotted testing across Europe, giving us an early idea of its boxy shape and familiar G-Class influences. Still, Mercedes appears keen to give the new model its own identity rather than simply shrink the existing SUV.
The powertrain lineup should also be broader than the traditional G-Class approach. Mercedes has previously confirmed that both combustion-powered and fully electric versions are planned.
Source: Road and Track
