First Look At Mercedes-AMG’s 1,000 HP Electric SUV

Mercedes-AMG is developing a bespoke SUV believed to feature a quad-motor powertrain, putting out over 1,000 hp

Update 12/12: Mercedes-AMG has kicked off the next phase of development for its high-performance electric SUV, marking the second model to ride on the AMG.EA platform. Prototypes of both the SUV and the mechanically related GT 4-Door are now undergoing cold-weather testing in northern Sweden, close to the Arctic Circle. Sub-zero temps are putting key components through their paces on both public roads and specialized tracks, giving engineers a proper workout.

To mark the occasion, AMG has decided to give us a peek at the prototype itself—well, kind of. It’s still wrapped in enough camouflage to make a spy movie jealous, but we can already catch the design vibes. It looks set to borrow heavily from the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door EV in terms of styling, with soft, rounded lines and a fairly low-slung silhouette for an SUV.

Original story follows below.

Previously, Mercedes-AMG dropped a teaser for its first standalone electric SUV, scheduled for a 2026 debut. Built on a dedicated AMG platform, this model aims to go beyond the typical formula of adding special touches to a standard Mercedes SUV. Instead, it’s designed from the ground up with AMG’s performance DNA at its core.

Developed “entirely in-house” on the AMG.EA architecture, it will be a bespoke AMG offering, rather than the performance derivative of a Mercedes SUV. The brand’s insistence on it being “AMG first, all-electric second” hints at a potential rethink of what an electric performance SUV can actually deliver.

More: Thank God The 2026 Mercedes-AMG CLE 63 Has A Roaring V8

The teaser sketch gives us a few clues. It reveals a muscular profile with a long hood, aggressive fender lines, and a sweeping roofline that’s a bit more Purosangue-inspired than you’d expect from a German SUV. Still, it’s less ostentatious than Ferrari’s take—AMG has always preferred a slightly more understated approach to menace.

The AMG.EA platform features an 800V architecture and is expected to support both the upcoming, yet-to-be-named SUV and the electric successor to the 4-Door AMG GT. Both EVs will be equipped with lightweight axial-flux electric motors, custom-developed for AMG by UK-based company Yasa.

A quad-motor setup is expected to produce over 1,000 hp (746 kW / 1,014 PS), offering all-wheel-drive and advanced torque vectoring abilities. The model will also benefit from four-wheel steering, active suspension, and an AMG-specific battery.

The SUV is expected to be similar in size to the 2022 Vision AMG concept, measuring around 5.1 meters (200 inches) in length, with a wheelbase stretching over 3 meters (118 inches). This gives it a larger footprint than the ICE-powered Mercedes-AMG GLE 63, edging it closer to the scale of the fully electric EQS SUV flagship.

On paper, its rivals span both ends of the propulsion spectrum. It’ll face off against gas-powered heavyweights like the Porsche Cayenne GT and Aston Martin DBX, as well as hybrid and all-electric contenders such as the BMW XM, Lamborghini Urus, and the Lotus Eletre.

We’ll likely get more breadcrumbs from AMG in the months to come, as the slow-drip teaser campaign ramps up. The company has confirmed that development test drives are set to begin this winter.

An SUV that’s 100% born in Affalterbach is coming. Built on the AMG.EA platform, it’s the first fully electric SUV crafted entirely in-house by AMG.#MercedesAMG #AMGThrill pic.twitter.com/L73TDjJ8MS

— Mercedes-AMG (@MercedesAMG) November 7, 2024