After years of speculation, whispers, and spy shots that seemed too good to be true, Mercedes-Benz finally pulled the sheet off one of its most intriguing projects in recent memory: a compact G-Class, nicknamed the “Mini G.” The announcement landed at the IAA Mobility 2025 show in Munich, where CEO Ola Källenius confirmed that prototypes are just around the corner. Mercedes even dropped a teaser image to stir the pot.
This isn’t just a shrunken-down G with less metal. According to Chief Technical Officer Markus Schäfer, the Mini G rides on a bespoke architecture designed to keep the model true to its rugged roots. We’re talking a miniaturized frame, original suspension geometry, and bodywork penned from scratch. Even the door handles won’t carry over from the full-size G—because why copy when you can reinvent?
The catch—or maybe the headline—is that the Mini G will be electric-only. Where the classic G straddles both ICE and EQ electric versions, this smaller sibling ditches gas entirely. Mercedes hasn’t revealed motor specs or battery sizes yet, but the move signals that Stuttgart intends the Mini G to be an urban warrior with trail cred, not just a fashion piece for the boulevard.
Design-wise, Chief Designer Gorden Wagener says the team isn’t about to mess with a good thing. The Mini G keeps the iconic upright stance and round headlights, while sharpening the lines and updating the light graphics for a modern edge. Think baby G-Wagen, but with a touch more crispness in the sheetmetal.
If development stays on schedule, expect to see production-ready Mini Gs prowling the roads in about two years. For Mercedes, it’s a clever play: distill the essence of an icon into a more accessible, more sustainable package. For fans, it’s the chance to get behind the wheel of something that still feels like a G—only without the scale (or price tag) of its big brother.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is about to drop its top—literally. Stuttgart just teased the return of the G-Class Cabriolet, a quirky open-air variant that hasn’t been offered in years, and the timing couldn’t be better.
The teaser doesn’t reveal much, but the silhouette is unmistakably G-Wagen: a squared-off front end, an upright windshield, and that military-chic stance buyers can’t get enough of. The twist comes further back, where the roofline dips behind the A-pillar into a folding top. Gone is the third-quarter glass, giving the profile a cleaner look that vaguely channels the ultra-rare Mercedes-Maybach G 650 Landaulet.
Mercedes hasn’t confirmed the full spec sheet, but the rumor mill suggests the Cabriolet will be offered globally, including in the United States—a market that has embraced the G-Wagen like few others. If true, this would mark the first time in decades that American buyers could spec their six-figure SUV with a factory soft top.
Expect familiar engines under the hood. That means a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six good for 443 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, as well as the ever-popular 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 pushing 577 horsepower and a monstrous 627 pound-feet. And because Mercedes is Mercedes, it’s not a stretch to imagine an EQG Cabriolet joining the lineup, packing four electric motors and a 116-kWh battery for a combined 579 horsepower and a stump-pulling 859 pound-feet of torque.
Word on the street is the G Cabriolet could bow at the Munich Motor Show next week, ahead of a likely 2026 launch. Pricing hasn’t been announced, but let’s be honest: it’ll be expensive, it’ll be impractical, and it’ll sell out instantly. Because when it comes to the G-Class, logic has never been part of the equation—and that’s exactly why we love it.
The Mercedes-Benz G-Class has long been an automotive unicorn—a military-bred SUV turned luxury status symbol, one that’s as at home on Rodeo Drive as it is in an off-road brochure. But while Mercedes markets the AMG-tuned G-Wagon as an indestructible “luxury icon,” one owner has unintentionally gone viral for pointing out just how un-iconic some of its features are.
Trey Stewart, a TikTok creator, uploaded a video that’s now racked up over 309,000 views, bluntly titled: “Everything I Hate About My G-Wagon.” It’s part roast, part therapy session, and part consumer de-influencing—and the internet can’t get enough.
The video opens with Stewart sheepishly admitting he’ll block his spouse from seeing the post to avoid an “I told you so.” Then the guided tour begins. His first gripe: the large infotainment screen isn’t a touchscreen. Instead, Mercedes relies on its aging COMAND system, controlled by a center-console knob that feels archaic compared to even budget compact cars.
“This is not great,” Stewart deadpans.
From there, the list of grievances grows. The sunroof? Manual. At nearly $150,000 when new, the idea of reaching up to slide open a panel of glass feels absurd. Even worse, Stewart claims the microfiber trim around the sunroof heats up like a stovetop in the sun.
The seats? Not perforated leather. “I sweat so much on these seats,” he admits, noting that cheaper vehicles often come standard with cooled, ventilated, perforated seating surfaces. He then pans over to the analog clock nestled in the dash. “I think you could’ve given me a button for the sunroof instead of the clock,” he quips.
But perhaps the most damning complaint comes when Stewart plugs in his iPhone. Wireless Apple CarPlay? Not here. Unlike a $20,000 Corolla, the G-Wagon requires a cable.
Viewers flooded the comments with equal parts disbelief and schadenfreude.
“Immediately lost me at the lack of touchscreen,” one wrote.
“Overpriced Jeep,” another chimed in.
“My $10k truck has a touchscreen, auto sunroof, and perforated seats! I’m ecstatic right now,” bragged a third.
The piling on didn’t stop there. Several pointed out that their mainstream cars—Corollas, trucks, mid-tier crossovers—boast features the six-figure G-Wagon can’t muster.
To be fair, Mercedes has never sold the G-Wagon on tech. Underneath the boxy bodywork lies a ladder frame, three locking differentials, and a twin-turbo V-8 that can propel its 6,000-plus pounds from zero to 60 in under five seconds. It oozes presence and authority. But in 2025, presence only gets you so far when your infotainment still feels stuck in 2015.
Edmunds recently rated the G-Wagon’s technology a middling 6.5 out of 10, citing the outdated COMAND system and clunky voice recognition. J.D. Power was equally unimpressed, calling the knob-based controls distracting and ergonomically frustrating. Even Mercedes seems to know it’s behind the curve—most of its newer models feature the slicker, more advanced MBUX interface. The G, for now, soldiers on with tech that feels dated.
Sticker shock adds salt to the wound. According to Kelley Blue Book, a 2022 AMG G-Wagon carried an MSRP of $180,150. In just three years, it’s already shed about 25 percent of its value, with resale prices hovering around $134,000.
Stewart himself summed it up best when speaking to Motor1: “A G-Wagon is no longer going to war, it’s going to Whole Foods. For the amount of money that people are paying for these cars, I am surprised that Mercedes has not equipped them with better technology earlier.”
The takeaway? The G-Wagon is still an icon—just maybe not the kind TikTok’s younger generation is dreaming about. If you’re looking for rugged heritage wrapped in luxury leather, it delivers. If you’re expecting your $180,000 SUV to out-tech a Corolla, prepare for disappointment.
