Mercedes Little G Rendered: Baby G-Class Wants To Dominate the Jeep Wrangler

However, the GLB ended up being a more spacious alternative to the GLA rather than the boxy crossover with off-road-ready tech enthusiasts were expecting. But the three-pointed star never gave up on the idea of a baby G-Class, and that model was already confirmed for production.

During the presentation of the CLA Concept during the Munich Motor Show earlier this month, CEO Ola Kallenius dropped the bomb about this ride, calling it the "Little G" and saying that "the daughter or son of the big G is also going to come to G fans around the world." When will that happen? "In a few years from now," according to the company's head honcho.

Word on the street is that the future high-rider could be due in 2026, and it appears it will be referred to as the g-Class instead of the G-Class to reflect its smaller proportions. But don't expect something along the veins of the Suzuki Jimny, which has 2,250 mm (88.6 in) between the axles. You see, the current G-Wagen's wheelbase measures 2,890 mm (113.8 in), and certain outlets speak of a similar size to the Jeep Wrangler, which has a 2,459 mm (96.8 in) long wheelbase in the two-door body style.

Will it be a veritable off-roader with a posh feel like its larger sibling? Not quite, because it has been reported that it might be built on the MMA platform. This upcoming architecture was developed for electric vehicles solely, and it supports the 800-volt technology. Therefore, we think it will be a normal battery-electric crossover with a boxy exterior design completely unrelated to the G-Wagen and equipped with the latest tech and safety gear. Semi-autonomous driving will likely be on deck.

If the rumors surrounding its potential 2026 introduction are correct, then the first mules should hit the open road in the near future, perhaps as early as next year. These will eventually be turned into prototypes wearing the final production body, and the camouflage will go thinner as the testing advances. We're curious to learn if Mercedes will make the "Little G" as boxy as the real G-Wagen and if they will launch it with two or four doors. But these are questions that will be answered in due course.

In the meantime, rendering artists have started being more interested in this future model. The CGIs shared in the gallery above were made by Reichel Car Design for Autoevolution, and they imagine the Little G with smaller overall proportions compared to the real G and a few styling revisions here and there. A side-by-side comparison makes the overall footprint a bit more evident, and if it ends up looking like this, then it will be easy to mistake it for the G-Wagen.

Before wrapping it up, we will remind you that the G-Class is also going electric with an all-quiet version called the EQG. It will retain the styling of the ICE-powered variants, albeit with a few tweaks at the front, like the closed-off grille, and will make use of four electric motors, one powering each wheel. Mercedes spoke about "enormous pulling power" when referring to this upcoming model, and they also said it will be capable of performing tank-style turns.