The G-Class transforms into a merry-go-round

Mercedes has been building the G-Class since 1979 and has sold more than 450,000 in over forty years. This huge popularity is not surprising. After all, the robust G-Class is the cornerstone of comfortable driving on and off the road. At the end of 2024, a new era will begin for the square off-road vehicle. It will then only be offered as the Mercedes EQG in all-electric.

Currently, there are only a few handcrafted prototypes camouflaged with foil. More than two years have passed for the finished EQGs to be delivered to customers, but we have already been allowed to travel with the new Mercedes all-terrain electric vehicle on an off-road field near Barcelona (Spain).

Optics almost unchanged

The prototype’s camouflage doesn’t hide the fact that not much will change in the legendary form of the original off-roader. There’s probably a closed front instead of the unnecessary radiator grille and subtly revised headlights. The same applies to the interior. In any case, the prototype’s instrument cluster, which was heavily covered during our drive, appears to run in a straight line, similar to that on the current G-Class.

So far all is well, G friends will be happy. But under the hood there is no longer an internal combustion engine. So there will be room for additional storage space. However, Mercedes engineers prefer to install electronic and electrical cables there. Because such a high loading threshold is not reasonable for anyone anyway.

More terrain thanks to electric drive

But all-electric off-road driving – is it okay? During our prototype ride, it was immediately apparent that it really did fit perfectly! Because Stromer is in principle ideally designed for rough terrain use. It starts with lithium-ion batteries. In the EQG these are integrated into the robust ladder frame made of steel up to 3.4 millimeters thick and not only make the body significantly more torsionally resistant, but also provide a lower center of gravity. Even at extreme tilt angles, the G-Class always has a firm footing.

To protect the batteries that come from the group rack and are also installed in other Mercedes models, Mercedes has developed specially robust underbody covers from an extremely durable material. Impressive: Despite hitting rocks and stones half a dozen times with our prototype on the Spanish off-road course, the batteries and underbody survived the ordeal unscathed.

Up to 100 percent climbing ability

Off-road, it also helps that the four individually controllable electric motors are close to the wheels. In this way the slip can be electronically compensated very finely and individually depending on the surface. In addition, the torque typical for electric cars is available right from the start.

At this early stage of development, they don’t want to tell us how much power the motors and their batteries provide. Mercedes technicians are also not allowed to say anything about range or driving performance. However, we were impressed with the EQG’s ability to climb extremely steep and slippery slopes. The climbing ability should be up to 100 percent thanks to the electronically simulated and selectable terrain reduction “Low Range Mode”.

it is possible to open in place

As a small but welcome side effect, four motors per wheel provide significantly more precise and tighter cornering. Since each wheel can be controlled independently, its rotation can be used for steering. The prototype works so well that it can spin in place just like a tank – two wheels spin forward while the other two simultaneously move in opposite directions. This reduces the turning circle to the length of the vehicle. With one press of the corresponding button on the steering wheel, the flaps on the steering wheel control the direction of the carousel journey and how long it will take.

But currently this only works on terrain and sandy ground. “The forces acting on the tires and mechanics on asphalt are very strong,” says one technician. So it is not yet clear whether this “carousel function” will also be installed in the production version from the end of 2024.