► Mercedes-AMG to create bespoke electric SUV
► AMG gets its own EV platform
► Another BMW XM in the making?
Mercedes-AMG has confirmed its first bespoke SUV, which will be the second electric model produced on its dedicated EV platform.
Following in the footsteps of the BMW XM as the division’s standalone SUV, AMG has now announced it is developing an SUV ‘entirely in-house’.
Codenamed ‘Born in Affalterbach’ – yes, really – AMG has only shown off a shadowed silhouette of the model so far, which gives away little information other than the SUV’s generous proportions and slight coupe-like rear end.
The new SUV will arrive as AMG’s second electric model, following a four-door electric GT that will rival the Porsche Taycan, and be produced around the performance arm’s bespoke ‘AMG.EA’ electric car platform. Rivals will include the Lotus Eletre and upcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric.
AMG has been turning its attention to SUVs for more than 25 years, with its first being the 1998 Mercedes ML55 AMG. Today it offers seven high-riding models wearing AMG badges, from the compact GLA to the well-known G63 4×4.
Speaking to CAR Magazine earlier in the year, Michael Schiebe, chairman of Mercedes-AMG, said that an electric AMG must not ‘quickly run out of steam’ – a reference to other EVs that cannot maintain their performance. He also added that they must be able to charge as quickly as possible ‘to get back on the racetrack’.
Both of these attributes will be enabled by the use axial flux electric motors, supplied by Yasa, which are designed to bring a 30 per cent increase in torque, a five per cent increase in efficiency and double the performance of a more conventional permanently synchronous motor.
While it’s the first SUV developed by AMG. the performance arm has created five bespoke models to date, including both generations of the Mercedes-AMG GT, as well as the SLS.
Michael Schiebe added: “SUVs have been among our most popular models for many years. With the ‘Born in Affalterbach’ SUV, we are responding to this trend by offering our customers a truly captivating high-performance off-roader based on the AMG.EA platform.
“Our new high-performance architecture follows a clear philosophy: ‘AMG First, EV Second’. This means that the vehicles not only excel as electric vehicles but also embody the core AMG qualities of emotion and performance.”
The first development vehicles of the new AMG SUV are set to undergo their first winter testing shortly, with production models unlikely to launch until 2026.