Take a look at the unofficial renderings of the Mercedes-Benz "Little G" SUV

This week at the IAA Mobility event, Mercedes made it official: a scaled-down version of the iconic G-Class, also known as the "Little G" is in the works. The new addition will initially be electric, although internal combustion engine (ICE) options could be offered later.

Motor1 took a stab at previewing the junior version of the off-roader. Since Mercedes' teaser consisted of a sketch depicting a boxy SUV with a rear-mounted spare tire, it was a subtle way of saying that the "Little G" will stay true to the instantly recognizable shape of the big G. The speculative design exercise builds on that, adding a few design cues you typically see on EQ-branded models.

As Automotive News reported, citing industry analyst Sam Fiorani, the "Little G" is anticipated to start production towards the end of 2026. The manufacturing will take place at the Kecskemet facility in Hungary, where Mercedes is already producing its line of compact cars. For context, the existing G-Class is assembled by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria.

The foundation for this new SUV will be the Mercedes Modular Architecture, which is primarily engineered for electric vehicles but can also accommodate ICE variants. This detail aligns with an original report from German publication Handelsblatt released in February, indicating that both gasoline and diesel models might be available.

While the "Little G" won't match its bigger sibling in off-road capability due to a unibody structure rather than a ladder frame, Mercedes is committed to ensuring it will still offer respectable off-road attributes. This includes ample ground clearance and suitable approach and departure angles. Four-wheel drive is a given, which means that the electric version would feature a dual-motor setup.

The downsized G-Class is projected to make its debut after the revamped versions of the CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, EQA, and EQB models are introduced. These were all previewed at the IAA event this week. Meanwhile, a fully electric iteration of the full-sized G-Class is expected to be launched in the near future.