Mercedes may have scrapped its bizarre plans for a half-sedan/half-SUV Maybach, but it appears the company is working on another dedicated sport utility vehicle. Automatic Car AMG is reportedly developing a dedicated electric SUV with four-digit horsepower that will be launched in 2026. The car will reportedly not be related to existing Benz-branded products as it will be underpinned by the upcoming AMG.EA platform.
It’s said to be about the same size as the Vision AMG, so expect an overall length of around 200.0 inches and a fairly long wheelbase of around 118.0 inches. The SUV’s impressive size would make it a competitor to the Lotus Eletre and Porsche’s upcoming three-row electric luxury car. It would also indirectly compete with BMW’s polarizing XM plug-in hybrid.
23 Photo
Automatic Car expect AMG to introduce its flagship electric SUV with a concept before introducing a production model in a few years. It’s unclear how many motors it will have, but at least two are planned as the sleek EV will receive all-wheel drive. A combined output of “more than 1,000 horsepower” is mentioned by the British magazine, which cites a person familiar with AMG’s plans for a mysterious model that will offer “a completely new level of variable traction possibilities.”
The unnamed model could serve as the SUV equivalent of the Vision AMG, which will be the electric successor to the cumbersomely named AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. The curvy sedan would be AMG’s first purpose-built performance car since the SLS AMG Electric Drive was a petrol-to-electric conversion. The sporty EQ model is simply a more powerful Benz.
Rumors are circulating that Mercedes has already made changes to its Sindelfingen, Germany, plant to accommodate the production of the super SUV. It is likely that the SUV will be built on the same assembly line as the sedan, which will be the first model to go to market.
It looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for an electric sports car as AMG seems to be prioritizing more volume-oriented products. Hopefully, the sedan and SUV will be successful enough to convince the pundits that a coupe is worth a shot in an SUV-obsessed world. AMG getting its own electric platform is an encouraging sign that there will be fun cars in the EV era, which isn’t coming as quickly as Mercedes predicted.
