Mercedes EQG Does the Tank Turn, Tries To Convince Everyone That It's Every Inch a G-Class

Ever since the carmaker announced it would roll out an electric G-Class, it has been trying to convince everyone out there that the electric powertrain will by no means compromise the rugged nature of the vehicle or its off-road capabilities.

On the market since the 1970s, the iconic G-Class has always been known as a super capable off-roader. Not much has changed about the design of the off-roader over the years. Later on, with new tech, creature comforts, and becoming much easier to drive, it turned out to be a lifestyle must-have SUV among celebrities. The rugged appearance, the boxy shape, those looks halfway between fugly and gorgeous, its capabilities on and off the road, plus the iconic reputation are what have kept it alive for this long.

Now, Mercedes is working on a facelift, which will also spring an electric variant. The carmaker wants to make sure everyone knows that the electric powertrain will not reduce the aura or the abilities of the legendary G.

That is exactly why the company’s CEO, Ola Kalenius, took the vehicle off-roading up the Schockl mountain near Gaz, Austria. Every model, before it goes into production, has to run up and down the mountain 336 times to be Schockl-proved. "It is a pretty hardcore off-road track there," Ola Kallenius warns.

Once it leaves the garage, the electric G prototype does what it does best: tackles rough terrain, climbs up every rock that comes its way, goes down without breaking a sweat.

The electric variant will keep the three lock differentials that the ICE-powered G sports, but will be powered by four motors, each mounted on a wheel. This setup allows the G-Class to do the impressive tank turn, spinning on the spot, with the simple push of a button, and with the help of one of the shift paddles, depending on which direction you want to go. Ola Kallenius explains that the move might help people out when they get stuck while off-roading.

The only cars currently in production that are able to do the tank turn are the Zeekr 001 and the YangWang U8, both coming all the way from China. Rivian eventually decided to ditch the tank turn mode, which never made it to a production model, because the function was "so easily abused and so hard to make sure that we don’t tear up trails," Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe explained.

To keep it a "real G," Mercedes kept the typical features: it will keep the angular straight-lines-only design as well as the round-shaped headlights, and the turn lights will still be up there, on the hood. The doors will maintain the visible hinges. and the so-familiar 'click-clack' sound when closing, and the spare wheel case will be at the rear, but this time, sporting a square shape instead of the usual round one.

The updated Mercedes-Benz G-Class is slated to make its debut in 2024 as a 2025 model year. That is when the EQG should arrive as well. An AMG variant is also part of the plan.