Good grief. As Mercedes-Benz advances toward its declared goal of ‘electric-only,’ even the most unlikely candidates are being shifted to battery power. Welcome to the EQG—here at the Munich motor show as a concept, but coming very soon as a production car.
At first, it might seem like the polar (bear) opposite of all the thuggish V8 G63 stands for. And yet Merc says it will be just as capable off-road as the combustion version.
Four motors are the key: one for each wheel, for what should be astounding traction and controllability, with max torque at zero revs. They’ll have two-speed transmissions, too.
The EQG will keep the ladder-frame chassis and the live rear axle of the regular G-Class, so it’s absolutely not some wimpish crossover.
The batteries, of unspecified capacity at this stage, will be wedged into that chassis frame. That’ll keep the center of gravity low—a handy thing when you’re dangling on some hillside at an improbable angle. It’ll also have the gumption to climb a 45-degree slope.
It’s a concept, so natch gets some spangly concept design tweaks, not all of which will make production. We can’t see the polished 22-inchers being the ideal wheel for forging a path between rocks. The exterior protection strips have been backlit, and there’s also a roof rack with peripheral striplights. The two-tone paint emphasizes the clamshell bonnet. Instead of the tailgate spare-wheel cover, there’s a box for the charging cables.
What those people are doing in their ’80s sci-fi outfits, Top Gear has absolutely no idea.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
