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After a series of in-house GT and SLS V8 sports cars – and the GT 4-Door sedan – Mercedes-Benz's high-performance division has confirmed it will develop a standalone electric SUV.
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Mercedes-AMG has announced the development of its first standalone SUV – and it will be fully electric.
The Mercedes-Benz performance division has described the electric SUV as ‘full-size’ – the category occupied by the BMW XM, which unverified reports have claimed may be axed before it is given a second generation.
Codenamed ‘Born in Affalterbach’ after the German town where AMG is based, the Lotus Eletre and electric Porsche Cayenne rival has been teased in an image of its silhouette released alongside a statement confirming the project.
The illustration at the top of this story – created by artist Pratyush Rout – shows what the final vehicle could look like.
It also confirmed the super SUV will be the second vehicle to use its AMG.EA dedicated electric-car underpinnings, after a Porsche Taycan-rivalling four-door sedan expected in 2025.
The performance arm’s first dedicated electric platform was announced with the 2022 Vision AMG concept.
No additional details about the standalone electric AMG SUV, including release timing or technical information, have been released.
Mercedes-AMG indicated the electric SUV is well down the development path by confirming on-road testing will begin in the coming months during the Northern Hemisphere winter.
Power is expected to come from axial-flux electric motors, which are more powerful and lighter than conventional radial-flux motors, from UK company Yasa, which is owned by Mercedes-Benz.
Axial-flux motors are already used in high-performance cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren, and Yasa is working on technology to fit them inside an electric vehicle’s wheels.
A stand-alone platform is a significant step away from current AMG SUVs, which are based on existing Mercedes-Benz SUVs and start with the GLA small SUV through to the full-size EQE electric SUV and AMG G63 4x4.
The first vehicle produced from the ground up by AMG was the 2010-2015 AMG SLS ‘Gullwing’ sports car, powered by a 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine (but badged as a 6.3-litre).
Mercedes-Benz took complete ownership of AMG in 2005, and following the SLS, the high-performance arm has developed the first- and second-generation AMG GT sports cars as well as the latest SL roadster.
The current AMG GT 4-Door Coupe – with inline six-cylinder and V8 power – is also its own work, based on a Mercedes-Benz platform.
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