Headline image credit: Auto Evolution
Mercedes-Benz is bringing back the G-Class cabriolet.
The convertible version of its six-figure SUV, last seen in European markets more than a decade ago, is returning by popular demand.
“We have had so many fans say, ‘When are you gonna bring it back?’” Ola Källenius, chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz Group, said on the Bloomberg Hot Pursuit! podcast on Wednesday.
“Now’s the time to do it. We have decided to kick off the development of an open-top G.”
Mercedes produced variations of an “open wagon” G throughout the 1980s and ’90s, which evolved into the G cabriolet designation until production ended in 2013.
Soft-top G500s in particular are highly desirable on secondary markets, where prices hover around $245,000.
The brand will offer a convertible version of its G-Wagon in all relevant markets globally, including for the first time in the US, Källenius said.
He declined to specify when production will start, stating only that it’s “not too far away.”
The news arrives as the Stuttgart, Germany-based automaker tiptoes into the world of electric vehicles with the Geländewagen, which made its debut in 1979.
An electric version of the G-Class has struggled to gain traction even as overall sales of the model line remain strong.
“We’ve received tremendous customer feedback on the electric version of the iconic G,” a spokesperson said in an emailed response regarding sales, noting that the G-Class achieved its best-ever sales quarter in Q4 of 2024.
A smaller, so-called Baby G is expected to premiere by 2027; that two-door electric SUV will retain the distinctive boxy shape of the G-Class but offer it at a more accessible price point.
Källenius declined to comment on the planned drivetrain of the coming convertible, but he noted that the most fervent of G-Wagon followers won’t be disappointed.
“Trust me,” he said, “the hardcore G fans are going to love what we’re going to do there.”
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