Baby G-Class? Mercedes planning boxy compact SUV for 2026 – report

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly planning a smaller unibody SUV with styling heavily inspired by the G-Class, pictured here.

Mercedes-Benz is reportedly planning a smaller unibody SUV with styling heavily inspired by the G-Class, pictured here.

Published Feb 17, 2023

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Stuttgart – The Mercedes-Benz G-Class has something of a cult following around the world, so it’s little wonder that the German carmaker is looking at squeezing a bit more out of its iconic status.

That would, of course, mean taking its basic design flavour and translating it into a smaller and more mass-market SUV that could potentially sell like hotcakes.

According to Motor1, quoting German publication Handelsblatt, this is exactly what Mercedes-Benz plans to do with its new compact SUV that’s being readied for 2026.

Have all those Brabus-kitted Suzuki Jimnys given them an idea?

But while you might expect a downsized Gelandewagen of sorts, the vehicle won’t be as rugged as the real body-on-frame G-Class, according to the aforementioned publications.

Instead it’s expected that the newcomer will be built around the new MMA unibody architecture that will also underpin the next-generation of compact models, including the GLA and GLB.

Although this platform is being designed primarily for electric vehicles, it can also accommodate internal combustion models, and the upcoming baby G-Class will reportedly be offered in both EV and ICE configurations.

Although sitting on a radically different platform to the G-Class, the new baby SUV is said to have strong visual similarities to its bigger brother, Handelsblatt reports. The vehicle will apparently only be slightly shorter but significantly lower than the G-Class.

As for the genuine Gelandewagen, Mercedes is currently readying an all-electric version called the EQG, which will future-proof the iconic 4x4 once its home market of Europe goes all-electric.

A double-cab bakkie version of the Mercedes G-Class is also said to be in the works as one of many new niche vehicles that the German company is working on as it forges a more upmarket and exclusive path.

IOL Motoring

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