Mercedes' electrified future isn't around the corner, it's already here. Models like the upcoming EQE Sedan and EQS SUV display the same luxurious and sophisticated nature we expect from the brand, but now in a modern electric package. There's one model that's been on everyone's mind for Mercedes to electrify more than any other, though, and that's the G-Wagen. Lucky for us, the Mercedes EQG, as it'll be known, is going to make a splash in a very big way.

What still gives us relief is that the production EQG will closely resemble the G-Wagen we know and love. The boxy design is staying, with major tweaks to the front fascia such as a closed-off grille, an altered rear, and different wheels. From a distance, it'll look very similar to its ICE siblings, but once you get close, you'll be able to recognize you're dealing with something very different.

Motortrend interviewed Ola Kallenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, recently in Paris and received a quote that sums up the idea of the upcoming vehicle perfectly: "By definition with its off-road capabilities, it is not on a platform, it is its own vehicle, full stop, and it will remain its own vehicle."

What's going to set it apart from the crowd are its underpinnings, and it's even going to be in a league of its own compared to its Mercedes brethren. Firstly, It isn't sharing the EVA2 platform that underpins the likes of the EQS SUV and Sedan but is instead expected to continue using the body-on-frame platform with a ladder-frame chassis that made the normal G so famous. This ensures that it'll stay true to its off-roading nature while making sure it's still unlike any luxury car out there.

The model will debut with four electric motors, as apparent in this fun Tank Turn ad, and will most likely be offered with the same 107.8 kWh battery from the EQS Sedan to start. Soon after, though, Mercedes has plans for the model to debut a cutting-edge silicon anode battery courtesy of the US battery materials company Sila. The new tech boats an energy density increase of 20-40% greater than current batteries and will be necessary if it even wants to come close to the EPA-rated 350-mile range of the EQS.

The final details, like exactly how much power it will have and how much the vehicle is going to cost are still up in the air, but we can expect a price tag north of the G-Class's $139,900 starting price and maybe even more power than the 516 hp and 631 lb-ft EQS. What matters is the vehicle will retain the same character it has always had when it arrives in 2024.

Improved battery technology is going to be the future for not just the G-Wagen, but also Mercedes as a whole. Intending to have an entirely electric fleet by 2030, Mercedes knows it has tons of ground to cover. There are plans to transition from the EVA 2 platform to improved ones in the near future, plus they are hoping to get started on making their own EV powertrains as opposed to sourcing them. It's going to take a lot of work, and we look forward to seeing how Mercedes continues to raise the bar.

As for the G, Kallenius rightly says, "It has cult status. It is unique. The G will always remain a G."