German newspaper Handelsblatt comes up with a stunning hypothesis: Mercedes boss Ola Kallenius is thinking of a mini Mercedes G-Class to compete in the compact class.
German newspaper Handelsblatt reports that Ola Kallenius wants to launch a compact Mercedes G-Class by 2026. The news is surprising because it contradicts Mercedes’ new strategy.
Ola Kallenius had announced that Mercedes will focus on developing the AMG, Maybach, and G-Class sub-brands and that it does not want to be a volume manufacturer.
Therefore, Mercedes decided to narrow the compact range from seven to four models by dropping the A-Class hatch and sedan and the B-Class. According to the official announcement, the new compact generation would debut in 2024 with the third generation Mercedes CLA.
The Mercedes CLA will be the first model to use the new MMA (Mercedes Modular Architecture) platform developed primarily for electric propulsion but also supporting conventional engines. This platform will later be used for the CLA Shooting Brake, GLA, and GLB, as well as for the next-generation C-Class.
In this context, an eventual Mercedes G-Class compact would be the fifth model of the future compact range and be based on the same MMA platform. It could appear in 2026 and will undoubtedly have an electric version in addition to the conventional ones.
The only logic of a compact G-Class would be that Ola Kallenius wants to expand the hugely successful G-Class range. But a compact Mercedes G-Class won’t have the off-road capability of the iconic G-Class with its three locking differentials.
Because it will be based on the MMA platform, the upcoming Mercedes G-Class compact electric will have 800V architecture, an eATS 2.0 permanent magnet synchronous electric motor mated to a two-speed gearbox and a silicon carbide inverter. The low cobalt content of the battery will have a high energy density and can charge up to 350 kW.
Ola Kallenius said that models based on the MMA platform would be at least 4.50 meters (177.2 in) long, so the future Mercedes G-Class compact will not be much smaller than the original G-Class, which measures 4.82 meters (189.8 in) in length. Conventional engines will come from the new partnership with Geely and will be 3- and 4-cylinder engines that will also be used in Volvo and Lynk&Co models.
Until the eventual introduction of a compact Mercedes G-Class in 2024, Mercedes will launch the EQG, an electric version of the G-Class based on a platform derived from the conventional G-Class. Mercedes unveiled the Mercedes Ener-G-Force concept at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, which evokes the lines of the iconic G-Class and could serve as inspiration for a future compact Mercedes G-Class.
