Mercedes-Benz is developing the next full-size G-Class, and the priority is clear: move the off-roader forward without losing the character that makes people want one.
Mercedes-AMG CEO Stefan Weckbach, who also oversees the G-Class and Maybach businesses, confirmed work on its successor during a media roundtable attended by Road & Track. A launch date remains under wraps, but preserving the G’s identity is central to the project.
Next-Generation G-Class Must Stay True To Its Roots
Few vehicles have an identity as firmly established as the G-Class. That gives Mercedes a valuable starting point, but it also leaves little room to get the next generation wrong.
Weckbach explained that the challenge is to introduce the changes needed for the future while protecting the model’s soul. Mercedes has not yet outlined the next G’s powertrain line-up or technical specifications, so these comments should not be taken as confirmation of a particular engine.
The approach fits the wider priorities described by Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius. New technology matters, but so do safety, quality, driving manners and longevity. Existing customers also need a reason to stay with the brand.
Mercedes Acknowledges The C63’s V8 Problem
The conversation inevitably turned to the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid C63 and the response from buyers who had grown attached to its V8 predecessors.
Källenius defended the engineering behind the car while acknowledging that Mercedes underestimated how much the eight-cylinder engine mattered to part of its audience.
That distinction is crucial. Performance figures can demonstrate what a car is capable of, but they cannot fully explain why someone wants to own it. For many AMG customers, the engine’s sound and delivery are part of the appeal.
Weckbach said customer feedback is influencing the company’s decisions, with a V8-powered CLE63 due next year. The comments reinforce the direction covered in our earlier report on AMG’s commitment to V8 engines.
They do not, however, amount to a promise that the current C63 will regain eight cylinders.
A Hint For Mercedes V12 Buyers
There was also a brief tease for customers who prefer an even larger engine.
Asked what Mercedes could offer loyal V12 buyers, Källenius responded: “Watch this space.”
That leaves plenty open to interpretation. No model, specification or introduction date accompanied the remark, so it remains a hint rather than a confirmed product announcement.
Electric AMG Models Remain Part Of The Plan
AMG’s renewed emphasis on V8 engines does not mean it is stepping away from electric performance.
Weckbach described axial-flux electric motors as the EV equivalent of AMG’s V8. The dedicated AMG.EA architecture pairs that motor technology with directly cooled battery cells, giving the division hardware developed specifically for its electric performance ambitions.
The direction is becoming clearer: AMG wants compelling electric cars alongside combustion models that retain the qualities its customers value.
For the next G-Class, the challenge is much the same. Mercedes knows it needs to evolve. The harder part is making sure buyers still recognise what they loved in the first place.