Mercedes-AMG has announced that, for the first time in its 57-year history, it is developing an SUV model entirely in-house. The off-road model, being developed at the company’s facility in Affalterbach, Germany, is built on the company’s proprietary AMG.EA electric high-performance platform. Development vehicles are set to undergo initial test drives this winter, according to Mercedes-AMG.
The brand entered the high-performance off-roader market in 1999 with the launch of the ML 55 AMG, and the class of vehicle has grown in popularity ever since, for Mercedes-AMG and other brands. Today, Mercedes‑AMG has six SUV model lines in its range, including the GLA, GLB, GLC, GLE, GLS, and EQE SUV. The 585hp, 4.0-litre V8 biturbo Mercedes‑AMG Geländewagen (better known as the G 63) sits at the top of the AMG off-roader lineup.
In this in-house SUV project, Mercedes‑AMG is designing the entire vehicle architecture for the first time. The full-size SUV will be the second model built on the all-electric AMG.EA high-performance platform based on axial-flux motor technology, the first being an upcoming four-door coupe. The SUV will be the sixth vehicle to be developed fully by at Affalterbach, joining the GT, SL, previous GT generation, and SLS models, and the first AMG.EA model, which is currently in testing.
“SUVs have been among our most popular models for many years. With the ‘Born in Affalterbach’ SUV, we are responding to this trend by offering our customers a truly captivating high-performance off-roader based on the AMG.EA platform,” said Michael Schiebe, chairman of Mercedes‑AMG GmbH and head of the Mercedes‑Benz G‑Class & Mercedes‑Maybach divisions.
Our new high-performance architecture follows a clear philosophy: ‘AMG First, EV Second.’ This means that the vehicles not only excel as electric vehicles but also embody the core AMG qualities of emotion and performance.”
