Mercedes-Benz Execs Hint at Plans for Next-Gen G-Class, More V-8 AMG Models. Here’s What to Know.

Aaron Brown, Stephen RiversSat, October 17, 2026 at 8:55 PM UTC

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Mercedes Teases Plans for Next-Gen G-ClassMercedes-Benz“We’re working currently on the next-generation, and we will make sure that it stays a G-Class,” said Mercedes-AMG CEO Stefan Weckbach.

Mercedes is already looking at what comes next for the full-size G-Class. The brief, according to the man overseeing the model, is to bring it into the future while keeping it recognizably a G. That sounds straightforward enough, and the brand is learning from its recent C63 experiences to determine what customers view as essential.

Speaking at a media roundtable attended by Road & Track on Saturday, Mercedes-AMG CEO Stefan Weckbach, who also oversees the G-Class and Maybach businesses, outlined his approach to the off-roader.

“For the G-Class, we need to make sure that it's going to be transferred to the future, but not losing its soul,’ Weckbach said. “And this is a big challenge. We’re working currently on the next-generation, and we will make sure that it stays a G-Class.”

It’s unclear how far out the next-generation G might be. The direction, though, is clear: Whatever changes, the Geländewagen’s identity remains central to the brief. Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius described a similar balance across the wider brand.

Alongside pushing new technology, he emphasized enduring qualities including “Safety, quality, ride and drive, longevity.” The Mercedes exec also acknowledged the importance of listening to its loyal, pre-existing clientele.

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Asked about the reaction to the four-cylinder hybrid C63, Källenius defended its technical sophistication while acknowledging that Mercedes had misjudged part of its audience.

“What we perhaps underestimated at the time was the good old V-8 crowd is a pretty good crowd,” he said. “So you did not get the whole tribe with you.”

Patrick Ernzen

“We learn from the reaction of our customers,” Weckbach added, explaining that the V-8-powered CLE63 would arrive next year. “So we go back to what our customers love: the V-8 AMGs.” There was also some encouragement for fans of even larger engines, too. Asked whether anything could be done for loyal V-12 buyers, Källenius said, “Watch this space.” Importantly, AMG isn't suddenly ditching electrification.

Weckbach described axial-flux motor technology as “basically the AMG V-8 on the EV side.” The dedicated AMG.EA architecture combines those motors with directly cooled battery cells, giving the performance division its own hardware to pursue that role. Whether you're interested in EVs or not, you shouldn’t have to worry that Mercedes will abandon its core with upcoming AMG models and the next-generation G-Class.

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