Maroc - dailynews.co.za - Motoring - Hier 14:53

Mercedes-AMG developing bespoke SUV flagship on new in-house platform

For the first time ever, Mercedes-AMG will be designing a completely bespoke SUV model in-house.The high-performance Mercedes division announced on Thursday that this new ‘full-size’ SUV model would soon begin testing.It will be the second vehicle, after the upcoming second-generation GT 4-Door, to use the division’s unique AMG.EA all-electric architecture.It stands to reason that the new AMG model will rival the Lotus Eletre and Tesla Model X, while also serving as a battery-powered alternative to the BMW XM. The newcomer is set to be launched around 2026.“SUVs have been among our most popular models for many years. With the ‘Born in Affalterbach’ SUV, we are responding to this trend by offering our customers a truly captivating high-performance off-roader based on the AMG.EA platform,” said Michael Schiebe, Chairman of the Mercedes-AMG Board of Management.“Our new high-performance architecture follows a clear philosophy: ‘AMG First, EV Second.’ This means that the vehicles not only excel as electric vehicles but also embody the core AMG qualities of emotion and performance.”Word on the street is that these new AMG.EA underpinned models could produce up to 1,000 horsepower, or 774kW.The architecture was previewed back in 2022 with the Vision AMG concept, which featured innovative Axial Flux electric motors. These are said to offer substantially more power than conventional electric motors.“AMG is reinventing itself. As was once the case with our founding fathers, there has been an amazing feeling of new beginnings here in Affalterbach for quite some time now,” former Mercedes-AMG CEO Philipp Schiemer said when presenting the concept.“The course has been well and truly set for an electrified future, and we’ve set the bar high. That’s because our customers expect something very special from all-electric cars.”IOL