Mercedes-Benz is adding a gasoline engine to its upcoming smaller G-Class after U. S.
dealers pushed back against an EV-only plan.
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AMG boss Michael Schiebe said dealers plainly told the brand: “We need an ICE version.”
The smaller G-Class, unofficially called the “Little G,” was initially planned as an electric-only model. But dealer feedback changed that direction.
During a roundtable in Los Angeles on May 19, Schiebe explained that U. S.
retailers heavily influenced the decision. “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.’”
The shift makes business sense. Dealers are closest to customer sentiment and saw that an EV-only model would struggle to sell.
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Mercedes now plans a dual-powertrain strategy.
One version will use a turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid, while the other will get an 85 kWh battery pack.
Both options should make the G-Class family more accessible at a lower price point.
Schiebe also noted that European demand for the EV version is expected to be strong, citing the CLA compact sedan rollout where a higher share of buyers choose the electric variant.
Mercedes is targeting a 2027 arrival for the smaller G-Class, though official timing and whether both variants launch together have not been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the full-size G-Class continues to perform well. U.
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S. deliveries rose 26 percent in 2025 to a record 12,003 units.
