It was a major deal when the legitimately brand-new Mercedes Benz G Class was unveiled in 2018. It only shares a half-dozen components with the previous G Class, which had been fundamentally the same since 1979. It proved a controversial redesign, with purists decrying the softer styling, too-techy interior, and more modern driving characteristics. But there’s no denying the new G wagen is the best one ever, retaining the G’s charm and driving character while being a better vehicle — not to mention a massive sales success. Now, the G-Class is truly entering the future with the debut of the Concept EQG on Sunday, a near-production look at the fully electric G that will go on sale in a couple of years.
Now, this concept isn’t coming as a surprise. At the reveal of the G-wagen in 2018, Arnold Schwarzenegger made a surprise onstage appearance, and he got Daimler’s then-Chairman Dieter Zetsche to promise the G would be a part of Mercedes’ full electrification plan. Then in 2019, current Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius confirmed that a G Class EV was in the works. But the reveal of this Concept EQG means the production car is on the horizon, with a debut possible as soon as 2022.
