- Mercedes’ upcoming “Little G” was nearly EV-only until U.S. dealers pushed for gasoline power.
- AMG boss Michael Schiebe says dealers plainly told Mercedes: “We need an ICE version.”
- The smaller G-Class is expected around 2027 and could broaden G-Wagen adoption significantly.
For a few years, it appeared as though EV adoption was going to follow a relatively predictable curve. Then, reality set in. Different markets moved at vastly different speeds, buyers started going cold on the idea, and plenty of automakers pulled back on their plans. Mercedes-Benz is just one of the latest examples of that, and it just admitted that U.S. dealers played a major role in changing the future of one of its most anticipated SUVs.
Mercedes is preparing a smaller sibling to the iconic G-Class, unofficially dubbed the “Little G.” Spy shots have already revealed at its existence, and dealers reportedly received an early look at the model during a company meeting back in March. Conversations with those dealers pushed the brand to nix an EV-only version of the SUV.
More: The Wheels Of Your $165K Mercedes G-Class EQ Could Fall Off
According to Auto News, it was during a roundtable in Los Angeles on May 19 that Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe explained that dealer feedback heavily influenced the decision. According to Schiebe, U.S. retailers didn’t exactly dance around the issue.
Photos SH Proshots
“The clear feedback from our U.S. dealers, which we from time to time also asked, was we need an ICE version,” Schiebe said. “We said ‘Yes, OK. Let’s put an ICE version in there.’ It needs to have enough power and it will definitely happen.”
That shift makes a lot of sense from a business perspective. Dealers are the ones fielding customer questions, hearing objections, and closely monitoring what sells on the ground. Clearly, enough of them telling the brand that an EV-only platform wouldn’t sell carried enough weight to change the plan.
To that end, a dual-powertrain strategy makes a lot of sense. We expect one to use a turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid and the other to get an 85 kWh battery pack. Both should allow customers who yearn for a true G-Class to get into the family at a much lower cost.
Schiebe also believes European demand for the EV version will be strong, pointing to the CLA compact sedan rollout there, where a significantly higher share of customers are choosing the electric variant and the car has shown “the everyday usability of electric cars.”
Mercedes is reportedly eyeing a 2027 arrival for the smaller G-Class, though the company has yet to officially lock in the timing or confirm whether the EV and ICE variants will hit showrooms together.
In the meantime, the original G-Class keeps printing money. U.S. deliveries climbed 26 percent in 2025 to a record 12,003 units.
