Mercedes-Benz zaps e-power to off-road icon with Concept EQG

Here's the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQG, a "near-production study" of an all-electric model variant of its utilitarian off-road icon, the G-Class. 

"The Concept EQG is clearly a 'G' not only in terms of design, but also because of its inner values, making it an uncompromising off-roader," the German carmaker said. 

The EQG's body is based on a ladder frame with independent suspension on the front axle, and a rigid axle at the rear, all of which are newly developed to accommodate the electric drive.

Four electric motors power each individual wheel to make four-wheel drive, which can be activated via a two-speed gearbox. The batteries are integrated into the ladder frame to ensure a low center of gravity. 

The powertrain will be tested at the 1,445-meter high Schöckl mountain in Graz before the SUV goes on sale, Mercedes-Benz said. Peppered with gradients of up to 60 degrees, the 5.6-kilometer route will surely test the tech onboard, MB added. 

As for the design, the near-production study adopts the G-Class' angular silhouette. Illuminated stripes highlight the exterior protective strips. The two-tone paint finish, gloss black on top and gloss aluminum beam on the bottom, make the EQG easily recognizable. 

The Concept EQG retains the regular G-Class' round headlights, but swaps the latter's grille for a Black Panel Grille, as there's no longer an engine to cool. The grille wears an illuminated three-point star, around which are "round square" lights in a shade of blue similar to the frond ends of Mercedes' EVs. 

 

At the rear, the model's distinct spare wheel cover is now an LED-lit lockable box, in which the charging cable can be stored. On the roof, there's a white LED strip on front edge of the roof rack to serve as a searchlight, while the Concept EQG rides on 22-inch polished aluminum alloy wheels. 

The origins of the G-Class model date back to 1979, and four decades on, it has become a popular luxury off-roader. Mercedes-Benz kept the model's boxy exterior since then, up to the new-generation's redesign in 2018.

Photos from Mercedes-Benz

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