The 2026 Mercedes Baby G-Class Crossover: Everything You Need to Know

The Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen has been an icon for decades, both for its impressive off-road capability and its unique style. So it’s no surprise that Mercedes is looking to capitalize a little more on that success. The brand has been up front about the fact that it’s giving the G-Wagen the Ford Bronco treatment, branching “G” out into an AMG-like sub-brand with multiple vehicles.

The first new “G” vehicle will be an all-electric version of the full-sized G-Wagen, likely known as EQG and expected to debut in 2024. The second, however, will reportedly be a compact crossover bearing the seventh letter of the alphabet.

Here’s what we know about the baby G-Class so far.

Mercedes has confirmed the “Little G” is coming

Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius confirmed to Bloomberg at the back in late 2023 that there is a “Little G” on the way, “a son or daughter of the iconic Big G.”

The new Baby G-Class should be all-electric

At CES 2024, Mercedes-Benz chief technology officer and board member Markus Schäfer told Autocar that the new compact member of the G-Class vehicle will be an electric vehicle. This confirms an earlier report from German outlet Handlesblatt (via Motortrend) that suggested it will be an all-electric vehicle only, offering more than 300 miles of range. Schäfer also batted aside any suggestion that the L’il G would offer internal combustion powertrain options as well as battery-electric ones.

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In a separate report, Autocar claimed the electric version would pack 800-volt charging architecture and be capable of adding almost 250 miles of range in 15 minutes on a 250-kW fast charger. But that report also noted that Mercedes could offer a combustion version in some markets.

The new G SUV will “have its own character”

Mercedes-Benz’s chief design officer Gorden Wagener told Autocar the Little G will “have its own character but still be a G.” Per that report, the car will draw “learnings” from the EQG, but use a different, potentially unibody platform.

While Mercedes is rolling out a new MMA platform — designed first for EVs, but also able to accommodate gas powertrains — for small cars with the next-gen CLA-Class arriving in 2024, the new baby G-Class will not use that platform. Schäfer told Autocar that the new crossover will have its own platform that depends more on pieces of the brand’s other architectures, due to its need for enhanced off-road capability. However, it will likely use technological developments from those MMA cars, such as their electric motors.

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How much will the Mercedes-Benz G crossover cost?

We don’t have confirmed information about the Baby G-Class’s pricing yet. However, Wagener told Autocar the vehicle will be “further up the market than a compact car.”And Mercedes is reportedly making its compact, entry-level vehicles more expensive (starting around $40,000).

We also can presume the Baby G-Class will be priced below the EQG and perhaps the current combustion G-Class, which starts at $139,900. Where the vehicle fits in the broad price band between those two poles remains to be seen.

When will the new Mercedes G crossover arrive?

Mercedes has not announced a specific timeline for the Little G yet. Kallenius promised that it would be “worth the wait” … which suggests there could be a wait. The Handlesblatt report suggested the G Class crossover could arrive in 2026, and Autocar’s most recent report affirms that.

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