EQE Sedan

Segment
Sedan

The Mercedes-Benz EQC electric SUV may be delayed in the US, but the German automaker is planning a massive product onslaught to make up for it. According to Autocar, the giant German automaker has confirmed development plans for as many as 32 new models that will launch by the end of 2022, which is very ambitious. Among these new models will be replacements for the current C-Class, S-Class and SL.

As we saw in recent spy shots, the new Mercedes SL, which will ride on the same platform as the Mercedes-AMG GT, will return to its roots with a traditional fabric roof replacing the current model's folding hard-top roof when it arrives in 2021.

New AMG performance models are also in the pipeline, including a new GT 4-Door Coupe flagship model with an advanced plug-in hybrid powertrain producing over 800 horsepower and the long-awaited return of the hardcore GT Black Series. Deliveries for the production version of the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar are now expected to start in 2021 after delays caused by emissions testing.

Unsurprisingly, Mercedes' electric car lineup will be expanded significantly within the next two years. The automaker's Smart city car brand will introduce new electric Fortwo and Forfour models that will go on sale by the middle of this year, along with a new compact electric SUV by 2022.

In addition, five new models will join the EQ family including production versions of the EQA and EQS concepts and new EQB, EQE and EQG models as part of a €10 billion ($11 billion) development program that will make Mercedes one of the leading electric car brands by the middle of the decade.

Mercedes' new entry-level EQA electric model will be based on the second-generation GLA but will have unique front and rear styling to distinguish it. Sources suggest the entry-level EV will be offered with up to three different electric motors and battery capacities, with the most efficient setup reportedly providing up to 250 miles of range.

The flagship EQS, on the other hand, is expected to have similar proportions to the current CLS but will adopt a five-door hatchback body style for extra practicality. A 100-kWh battery will provide a range of up 435 miles in the range-topping version. According to Autocar's sources, EQ Power plug-in hybrid versions of the second-generation CLA and GLA and facelifted E-Class will be unveiled at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show in March.

By the end of this year, Mercedes plans to offer 20 plug-in hybrid models ranging from the A250e to a replacement for the S560e that will form part of the new S-Class line-up, which will offer more than double the electric range of its predecessor.

The new Mercedes S-Class will be the automaker's most advanced production model yet thanks to an updated MRA platform and a new electric architecture that supports new driver-assist tech including a level-three autonomous driving system.

Rumors suggest the new S-Class will only be sold with hybrid powertrains based on the automaker's 3.0-liter gasoline and 2.9-liter diesel inline-six-cylinder engines, while more powerful versions will adopt a mild-hybrid version of AMG's turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 gasoline engine. Due to slow sales, the S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet will not be replaced when the current model's lifecycles end in 2022.