Mercedes isn’t going to sit out all the performance SUV fun.
The German marque’s sportiest sub-brand, Mercedes-AMG, has just shared a first look at its upcoming electric people hauler. The EV will be the second model built on the company’s AMG.EA platform and has the chance to be one of the most powerful vehicles to ever wear the three-pointed star.
Mercedes has long understood the allure of a luxury SUV. The boxy G-Class, or G-Wagen, has been one of the class’s most popular models since its introduction at the tail end of the 1970s. But while the automaker has plenty of SUVs in its lineup, it lacks the sort of high-performance EV that can match up with the Porsche Macan Electric and Lotus Eletre.
That’s about to change. AMG has shared photos of an in-development SUV undergoing road testing. Little is known about the prototype at this point, but it is one of two new models the sub-brand is working on, the other being a four-door coupé. Both new models will be built on Mercedes’s new all-electric AMG.EA architecture.
The EV in the photograph may be covered in a camouflage wrap but it’s clear it’s unlike anything else in the current Mercedes line-up. It has an aggressive stance and sharper lines than any of AMG’s other SUVs, including the GLC and GLS. The difference is especially pronounced when compared to the line’s only other electric SUV, the jellybean-like EQE. We’re particularly intrigued by the front fascia which has a concave section that suggests the division’s trademark Panamerican grille could be in line for a radical reimagining.
Mercedes may still be keeping details about its new EVs close to the chest, but the reporting out there is easy to get excited about. Earlier this week, the UK-based Autocar reported that the SUV will be the latest member of the AMG GT family. Its powertrain could make well over 1,000 hp, since the AMG.EA platform allows for either a twin- or tri-motor setup. The motors used by the setup can supposedly make up to 473 hp and 590 ft lbs of torque by themselves, suggesting the vehicle will be significantly more powerful than the Macan Turbo Electric, which tops out at 630 hp, and the Eletre R, which tops out at 905 hp.
Luckily, we shouldn’t have to wait too much longer to find out more. According to Mercedes, the SUV will soon begin cold-weather testing. Its sibling, the four-door coupé, is expected to debut sometime next year, with the SUV following shortly after.
