Mercedes-AMG has long been able to do what BMW’s M GmbH can do with the XM. For the first time in its 57-year history, Mercedes-AMG is developing its own SUV from scratch. This has now been officially announced. However, unlike the XM it will be a purely electric vehicle.

The first off-roader “Born in Affalterbach” is based on the company’s own electric high-performance
platform AMG.EA. Development vehicles are due to complete their first test drives this winter.

High-performance SUVs have been an integral part of the AMG portfolio for many years. The performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach established the segment 25 years ago with the ML 55 AMG. The high-performance off-roader class captured the hearts of customers within a very short space of time and has enjoyed high growth rates ever since. Today, Mercedes-AMG offers a total of six SUV models with the GLA, GLB, GLC, GLE, GLS and EQE SUV. In addition, the Mercedes-AMG G 63 is a genuine off-road vehicle in the brand’s portfolio.

In the current SUV project, Mercedes-AMG is developing the entire vehicle architecture itself for the first time. The full-size SUV will be the second model to be based on the all-electric AMG.EA high-performance platform. It is also the sixth vehicle to be developed entirely by the Affalterbach-based performance specialists – alongside the first AMG.EA model already undergoing testing and after the current GT, the SL and the previous generation of the GT and the SLS.

“SUVs have been among our most popular models for many years. We are now recognising this trend for the first time with an SUV ‘Born in Affalterbach’. In the future, we will be offering our customers
an absolutely fascinating high-performance off-roader based on the AMG.EA. The motto for our new high-performance platform is: ‘AMG First, EV Second’.

This means that the vehicles will not only be outstanding EVs, but will also impress above all with classic AMG virtues such as emotion and performance,” says Michael Schiebe, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH and Head of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class divisions & Mercedes-Maybach.