You will find been talk about a infant Mercedes-Benz G-Course for several a long time, as nicely as turning the G-Class into an off-road-targeted sub-model. The initial tangible final result of the chat was the GLB, sharing the upright G proportions with the longtime legend but just about nothing at all else. German outlet Handelsblatt says its spoke to sources at the Mercedes mothership who explained CEO Ola Källenius is pushing for a “Mini-G” that would get there all over 2026. With the German automaker getting chewed on the strategy so long — by means of two CEOs — this is not an outrageous rumor. Trouble is, what little has been described about the motor vehicle in problem would make it audio a great deal like the recent GLB.
Handelsblatt’s term from resources had been that the crossover would sit on the Mercedes Modular Architecture that will very first slide below the future-gen CLA in 2024, then the GLA, GLB, and CLA Shooting Brake. That would essentially make the Mini-G shorter and lower to the floor, with appears to be like that resemble but really don’t mimic the G-Course. The 2023 GLB 250 4Matic is 182.4 inches long, 79.5 inches large, and 65.2 inches tall, on a 111.4-inch wheelbase supplying 6.1 inches of floor clearance. The 2020 G 550 189.7 inches extended, 86.1 inches large, and 77.5 inches tall on a 113.8-inch wheelbase providing 9.5 inches of ground clearance. Dimensionally and aesthetically, there is room in there for a Mini-G that seems like a shrunken version of the authentic very last calendar year, spy photographers caught a jacked-up mule hidden under a third-generation C-Class, attainable a child G, that C-Class owning a wheelbase of 111.8 inches.
The tale states the Mini-G, like the GLB and G-Course, would supply electric and ICE powertrains, the previous able to go at minimum 310 miles on a demand and refill speedily thanks to an 800-volt architecture. Appears serious finely sliced to us. Potentially Källenius sees this as the German variation of the Ford Escape (GLB), Bronco Activity (Mini-G), Bronco (G-Course) marriage, even so, and the trio has undoubtedly worked out for Ford. A critical line from the Handelsblatt tale which is been neglected, nonetheless, is, “[The] Stuttgart-primarily based carmaker is developing totally new auto styles, these types of as a blend of SUV and sedan especially for Chinese consumers. Maybe the most daring new item in the coming a long time is most likely to be a compact automobile that is said to have powerful visual similarities to the G-Class.” So it is attainable this program has only that current market in intellect.
Now, if what Källenius has in intellect is a generation version of the Ener-G-Drive idea from 2012 (proven earlier mentioned and below) that maintains the concept’s Tonka Toy ethos, then, come on. Let’s get this likely, and get that bad boy below mach schnell.