Mercedes-AMG's SUV Is Coming For Lambo Blood
The EV That AMG Expects Big Things From
Last week, Mercedes-AMG teased its upcoming electric super sedan with a short Instagram reel that gave us a taste of its soundtrack. AMG is developing this EV all on its own, but for the risk of the non-traditional new sedan to have any chance of financial success, its development costs need to be shared, and what better way to do that than by using the same AMG.EA architecture to offer the most proliferative body style, the SUV? These close-up shots captured in Europe give us some strong clues as to what we might expect when the production vehicle arrives, and it appears that the electric siblings will look nearly identical, whatever their final design turns out to be. Fortunately, we have a north star to look to in that regard, but more on that later.
Mercedes-AMG Is Building A Lambo Rival (Kinda)
At present, and with these sorts of timelines always in flux, Lamborghini intends to launch its Lanzador EV in 2029. This is a mix between an SUV and a sedan, but Mercedes has broader brand appeal, not exclusively targeting the 1%, so it's offering two separate products to reach a larger customer base. More accurately, the AMG's SUV could be considered Affalterbach's answer to the (admittedly only hybrid) BMW XM, which is described as a standalone M car. Like that vehicle, this SUV will be instantly recognizable as the top dog in the AMG lineup, with bulging fenders, big wheels, and behind them, the performance division's bespoke gold calipers that indicate carbon-ceramic stoppers. The styling will doubtless be a slightly more aggressive take on the transitional language presented by the Concept CLA, which ties current combustion-powered vehicles with the futuristic jellybean looks of the EQ-branded EVs. It's not quite as simple as that, though.
Concept Car Styling & Performance Coming To Life
Although Mercedes has fitted this test mule with placeholder taillights, it's evident that the back end of this SUV (and the sedan mentioned at the outset) will be heavily influenced by the evolutionary styling of the sublime Vision EQXX concept. That means the semi-circular shape of the rear fascia will house a substantial taillight bar that tries not to be as slim as possible but as bold as possible. Not only will this create a distinctive visual signature to help onlookers identify the brand clearly, but it will also help taller vehicles like this SUV to appear lower, wider, and sleeker. Of course, this is Mercedes we're talking about, so the forward-thinking aesthetics will be accompanied by next-generation technology.
Thanks to the axial flux motors previewed by the Vision One-Eleven, a technology that has already helped the aforementioned CLA achieve a 24-hour EV distance record of 2,309 miles, Mercedes will be capable of extraordinary power and efficiency in a remarkably small and lightweight package. We can safely expect close to a thousand horsepower to be possible, keeping alive that old AMG tradition of eviscerating rubber at will. The SUV was expected to be launched this year, and given the fact that a teaser of the sedan was recently shared, we can't discount that possibility, but current market conditions have pushed Mercedes back toward combustion, and the timing of niche new EVs needs to be perfect, or all the platform-sharing and skunkworks development will be for naught.
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