A very un-aero EV, from a nameplate that’s decidedly old school.

Mercedes-Benz has revealed an electrified version of its most iconic vehicle.

The EQG concept takes the same steel ladder-frame platform that Gelandewagen is built upon and futureproofs it. That is the theory, at least.

In appearance, this EQG has kept the proportions and two-box design of Gelandenwagen, although thedetailing has changed. Theconventional front grille is replaced by a closed panel and LED lighting has been added nearly everywhere else.

Some of the stranger details are those round LEDs that sit on the wing mirror caps and the rectangular tailgate cover. Gelandewagen is known for its traditional tailgate spare wheel mount, but it appears that EQG will repurpose this legacy design feature as a plug-in charge port of some type, or a storage box.

Rolling the EQG along are polished 22-inch wheels that aren’t too dissimilar to the Monoblocks seen on Mercedes-Benz’s latest GLS update.

The Gelandewagen has been available with huge wheels for many years, but the tyres make this EQG configuration notable. If you look closely, they have a very low-resistance tread pattern, incompatible with gravel road touring or any off-road driving.

Aside from the images and naming convention, Mercedes-Benz has not revealed much about the EQG’s technical specifications. We don’t know the battery pack size or electric motor power output.

The EQG will be all-wheel-drive witha motor in at each wheel. Our best guess for its power density is the 107.8 kWh battery in Mercedes-Benz’s EQS luxury sedan.

This EQS power source is a healthy size battery, but how Mercedes-Benz’s engineers will mount it on the Gelandewagen ladder-frame platform without compromising cabin space, is a mystery.

Although nearly every new electric vehicle champions aerodynamic efficiency as crucial, the EQG will suffer from a poor overall drag coefficient. Limiting its range.

But Mercedes-Benz knows the value of Gelandewagen’s design and its appeal to wealthy buyers. This is why the EQG project exists.

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