Mercedes-Benz Confirms It’s Working On a Smaller G-Wagen

Mercedes-Benz’s most beloved SUV is about to get a little sibling.

The German luxury marque confirmed on Thursday, once and for all, that it is working on a smaller version of the G-Class. The news was tucked into a press release from the brand about what it has planned for the next few years.

Rumors about a Baby G-Wagen have been circulating among enthusiasts for years now. They were only given fuel when the automaker’s CEO, Ola Källenius, mentioned the possibility of a “Little G” at the International Motor Show Germany in September 2023. Now we know that that model is officially on the way, but that’s as far as the details go.

Fortunately, years of speculation have given us an idea of what to expect. The most commonly held belief is that the smaller G-Class will be an electric-only model, according to Road & Track. This would make sense since a battery-powered G-Wagen already exists (though, it should be noted, that Mercedes no longer seems so eager to go all-electric).  There’s also an expectation that the new model would be built on a platform that supports at least some off-road capability, as that is a key part of the nameplate’s identity. It’s also been reported that SUV would likely be more accessibly priced than its exclusive bigger sibling.

If the Little G does turn out to be an EV, don’t expect it to look all that different from the standard G-Wagen. In the same press release, Mercedes announced plans to alter its current design language strategy and give all of its battery-powered models a much-needed makeover.

Since the launch of the company’s first EV, the EQC SUV, in 2018, the automaker’s gas- and battery-powered models have had different design languages. Those with ICE powertrains look like what you’d expect a Merc to look like in 2025, while those with fully electric powertrains have tended to look like jellybeans. Going forward, each member of its vehicles will sport a single “coherent, status-oriented design language” whether it is gas-, hybrid-, or battery-powered. This will make it harder to identify the brand’s EVs but should make for a better-looking lineup overall. The upcoming CLA-Class is expected to be the first model to utilize this new strategy.