Mercedes AMG is going to develop its very first SUV, and it’s no joke

57 years of history and never a single raised family vehicle on the clock. But there needs to be a first for everything: AMG will develop its very first dedicated SUV, which will not be derived from a model in the Mercedes catalog. One way to respond

The DNA of AMG (Aufrecht Melcher Großaspach) is closely linked to competition since the brand was created in the sixties by a Mercedes engineer wanting to fly on his own by working specifically on engines. The adventure then begins. 57 years later, AMG has come a long way with the modification of numerous Mercedes with four, six, eight or twelve cylinders. And even some electric eccentricities like the SLS Electric Drive or the arrival of the first AMG “EQ”. Other choices have provoked considerable debate, such as the passage from the C63 AMG to the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid. But these purists attached to a certain past perhaps haven’t seen anything yet. Faced with a BMW which seems to be the strongest of the three major German manufacturers on a global scale, Mercedes has decided to react. Or rather AMG, all by itself. And that’s precisely the little peculiarity of this new feature announced today by this first image.

The first AMG SUV

The SUV at AMG is not really new. From the ML 55 AMG in the early 2000s to the GLS and even the EQE, the tuner was quickly swept away in the tornado of raised vehicles. Profitability requires, even if it means leaving aside a little what originally made AMG, namely racing. But AMG has never worked independently on an SUV. The Mercedes subsidiary did develop separate models, but each time they were coupes: SLS, GT, SL.

The new AMG SUV will be based on the specific AMG.EA platform which will also be used for other high-end electrified models from Mercedes. The base is therefore obviously not a completely blank sheet, but everything else, or almost everything else, will be. And of course, it is legitimate to think then of BMW XM, the first SUV specifically developed by and for Motorsport, which must have given some ideas to Stuttgart... especially since the XM displays honorable sales scores worldwide.

With the AMG.EA platform, this SUV will benefit from the famous axial flow electric motors with the advantage of a smaller footprint and reduced weight. This SUV will be the second model to use this technical base after the four-door GT sedan currently in preparation.