New Mercedes-AMG electric super-SUV getting in shape to fight Porsche Cayenne
AMG’s new bespoke electric car platform will underpin the large high-performance SUV, as well as a sleek four-door GT
Mercedes-AMG has released the first images of its bespoke flagship electric SUV that will serve as a rival to the Lotus Eletre and Porsche’s forthcoming electric Cayenne.
It’s currently destined for some cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle, alongside the performance division’s four-door GT, a potential Porsche Taycan killer.
AMG’s as-yet-unamed electric SUV has a relatively traditional two-box shape rather than an ultra-sporting fastback design, and a relatively long bonnet – in stark contrast to the EQE and EQS AMG SUVs currently in production.
The heavy camouflage does a good job hiding the finer details, but there is likely to be a very large blanked-off grille panel using AMG’s signature ‘Panamericana’ pattern.
The brand-new AMG.EA architecture will underpin both the electric super-SUV and super-saloon. Expect the chassis to make heavy use of aluminium, employing a traditional skateboard-style layout and a large battery pack running on an 800V electrical system, with a clear ethos of ‘AMG First, EV Second’.
It will have at least two electric motors, both of a new-age axial-flux design and significantly lighter and more tightly packaged than the comparable radial-flux motors found in most current EVs. These improvements in packaging could even see the application of three or four-motor layouts, giving the car total torque vectoring control across the axles.
At this stage, we can only speculate on the potential power output, but given that it will sit at the very pinnacle of AMG’s electric range – and that the most powerful Lotus Eletre produces 905bhp – in excess of 1,000bhp is entirely possible.
Alongside the powertrains, we also expect a full suite of high-end chassis technology, including rear-wheel steering and carbon-ceramic brakes.
A production date has yet to be confirmed, but with the first SUV prototypes now out testing, we could see it arrive some time in 2026, or around 12 to 18 months after the four-door saloon.
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