Mercedes Baby G-Class Goes Hybrid and Electric by 2027

Announced in 2023 as a future compact SUV that would be 100% electric, Mercedes' "Baby G" is changing course. The little brother of the G-Class will ultimately be offered in both hybrid and electric versions from its launch, slated for 2027, on a dedicated platform with a ladder frame chassis and four-wheel drive as standard.

"Mercedes would keep combustion engines into the 2030s to maintain global flexibility." — Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz

The strategic pivot we expected

The decision surprises no one who follows the market closely. Mercedes had announced a Baby G exclusively electric — then the market spoke. Sales of high-end electric models have remained below projections, and Ola Källenius has publicly confirmed that the brand will keep combustion engines well beyond 2030. The Baby G becomes the mirror of this deep-seated revision.

What is less ordinary is the technical cost of this strategy change. Grafting a combustion engine onto a vehicle initially conceived as a pure electric is not a matter of tweaking a few lines of code. It affects the entire architecture: engine bay volumes, cooling, mass management, exhaust integration. According to our information, it is precisely to secure this flexibility that Mercedes ultimately opted for a specific hybrid platform — a mix of traditional ladder frame chassis and elements from the MMA platform that underpins the CLA and GLB — rather than grafting the model onto the GLC electric architecture as initially planned, according to information reported by Autocar.

What will be under the hood

On the hybrid side, the engine is already familiar: the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found in the new CLA. This engine, developed in partnership between Geely and Renault under the Horse Powertrain joint venture, produces up to 188 hp in its current applications on the CLA. It pairs with a 30 hp electric motor integrated into the 8-speed automatic transmission — a 48V mild hybrid system that assists the combustion engine and manages the vehicle's electrical functions. In the CLA 220 hybrid, the combined output is 208 hp with 380 Nm of torque, according to L'Auto Journal.

The electric version, meanwhile, will rely on two eATS2.0 motors from Mercedes, one per axle, with an 85 kWh battery — the same as the electric GLB, which claims 614 km WLTP. The Baby G will be heavier and far less aerodynamic, so range will be lower. Carscoops mentions a target around 450 miles (about 725 km), which seems very ambitious given the vehicle's stature, but the 800-volt architecture — unlike the larger G580 electric — should at least guarantee fast charging.

Which powertrain will launch first?

The electric version arrives first. Mercedes plans to start production in 2027, with the hybrid version following in 2028 according to Turbo.fr. This sequencing is logical: the platform was designed primarily for electric, and the combustion aspect came late in development. In other words, the first customers — likely European — will be offered the choice only between different electric power levels. The hybrid, meanwhile, will target markets like the United States, where enthusiasm for rugged combustion-powered SUVs shows no sign of waning.

A silhouette designed to show the G-family lineage

The first spy photos and official teasers are unambiguous. The Baby G adopts the boxy stance of the full-size G-Class — vertical flanks, upright glass, flat roof — in a format reduced by about 30% compared to the original. CarBuzz and Carscoops have photographed prototypes undergoing winter testing, wearing distinctive camouflage covered in small lowercase "g" letters — a knowing nod to the nameplate.