Mercedes-Benz plans to build a smaller, more affordable version of the boxy off-roader that’s a status vehicle beloved by celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kim Kardashian, according to Chief Executive Officer Ola Källenius on Sunday.
The vehicle will be electric and “fun to drive — on and off the road,” said Källenius during a pre-Munich Auto Show gathering. He considers the “Mini-G” to be the “daughter or son of the big-G.” The automobile, because it is electric, would be more of a spinoff of the all-electric EQG. Mercedes intends to begin selling the G-Class EV next year.
German media sites have long reported that has been pushing hard for a Mini-G, which has been in the works for years. More information about the subject can be found in this February Autoblog report. According to Automobilwoche, which is reported from Munich, the smaller G could even be branded with a small “g,” as in “g-Class.”
Mercedes’ current Gelanderwagen is one of its most expensive and profitable models. A “Baby” G-Wagen would compete with vehicles like the Ford Bronco and would most certainly cost substantially less than the present model, which starts around $139,000 in the United States and can go much higher from there.
