Last fall, Mercedes dropped a hint that we’d see its new junior G-Class “very soon.” Today, we’re being treated to the first spy shots of the baby off-roader undergoing some winter testing.
We expect the smaller G to enter production in time for the 2027 model year, offering both fully-electric and combustion powertrains. Even while it lacks the scale of its big brother, there’s no mistaking what family the baby G belongs to. From certain angles, it could pass for an all-electric Kia Soul. (Or, dare we say, Scion xB?)
By and large, Mercedes-Benz took a fairly literal approach to scaling the G-Class down, but there are some exceptions. The dual front lighting configuration was tossed out, for example; the LED outlines visible there serve as both the DRL and turn signal.
In November, two prototypes were caught being loaded onto a transporter in Germany. Thanks to the handy cross-section of vehicles nearby, you can grasp a pretty good sense of just how small this thing is.
Note that the baby G is absolutely dwarfed by the two-row EQS 450 SUV (the grey crossover in front of it in line for the carrier in the upper-left photo) and the Mazda5-sized Metris passenger van it is parked next to in the succeeding shots. It might even be smaller than that utility tug visible in the background.
These prototypes are also sporting what appear to be full-length roof racks—one of them a full ladder setup that gives notes of “accessory catalog.” That tracks with CEO Ola Källenius‘s previous comments about the car appealing to more youthful, active buyers. Its smaller dimensions and available electric powertrain will certainly appeal more to urban buyers in Europe, where many of the major cities now impose restrictions (or additional charges) on combustion vehicles. Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure that’s just more camo for the prototypes stashed up there, and definitely not body bags.
Given earlier rumors, we heard that the baby G would ride on the same “MMA” platform that underpins the new CLA and GLA, we really shouldn’t be all that surprised by its diminutive stature. We’re betting the interior will borrow elements we’ve seen elsewhere in the platform already, including the Superscreen setup that Mercedes recently teased for the revised GLB three-row.
With Toyota pitching a shrunken Land Cruiser FJ overseas (rude) and Mercedes getting serious about a baby off- (or more likely, soft-) roader, we can’t help but scratch our heads at Jeep’s choice to aim its electrified Recon at… well, we’re not certain what it’s aimed at, exactly, but it’s a much larger target than either of the aforementioned choices. That allowed Jeep to hitch the Recon’s fortunes to the same STLA Large platform found underneath virtually every new car in the Stellantis US portfolio; the consequence, of course, is that it had to be, well, Large.
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