Mercedes-Benz has shared the first official look at the new G-Class Cabriolet, marking the return of an open-air option for the iconic off-roader nearly ten years after the previous version bowed out.
The prototype seen in Austria is currently completing early road and track testing before heading into deep-winter off-road trials in Sweden.
No technical specs have been confirmed yet, but the photos make one thing clear. This new drop-top sticks with internal combustion under the bonnet rather than switching to the electric EQ platform. That means buyers can expect familiar diesel and petrol choices.
Today’s G450d uses a turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six delivering 362 hp (270 kW), while the G500 packs a turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder producing 443 hp (330 kW). The flagship role is currently filled by the G63 and its twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 pushing out 577 hp (430 kW).
Launch timing remains under wraps, but since development is already well progressed and the model is based on an existing production vehicle, a reveal that aligns with the European summer seems like a safe bet.
Mercedes confirmed in September that the G-Class line-up will expand to include a cabriolet once again and, for the first time, it will be officially offered in the United States.
These shots arrive hot on the heels of spy images capturing the upcoming Little G, which will sit as the new entry point to the G-Class family.
Pricing is expected to sit comfortably above the current range, which already starts north of R4.5m
Cabriolets have a history in the G-Class world. The first appeared back in 1979 as a two-door, short-wheelbase version and lasted until 2013. That legacy was later topped by the outrageous G-Class Maybach G650 Landaulet in 2017, built in a run of just 99 units with a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 good for 621 hp (463 kW).