Mercedes-Benz priming 21 new cars for next two years

Secrecy surrounds the outputs of the new electric SUV, which will be produced at Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa factory in the US. However, sources at AMG’s Affalterbach headquarters have suggested to Autocar that a planned GLE 53 range-topping model could deliver up to 600bhp in combination with uniquely tuned motors and power electronics. This variant is pencilled in to arrive in 2026.

Before the end of 2025, Mercedes will reveal the new GLB. Described as a “massive step up” from the first-generation car, it will be the third model based on the MMA platform. As with the CLA, it will have both electric and petrol drivetrains, targeting the Audi Q3/Q4 and BMW X1/iX1. Both EV and ICE variants will wear the GLB badge, meaning the EQB moniker will disappear.

Test mules show that the new GLB will be slightly longer and wider than today’s model, with more of a focus on interior space and storage. That change has been made possible by the switch to MMA from the older MFA platform.

The significance of the new GLB goes beyond simply replacing the first-generation model launched in 2019. It also serves as the template for Mercedes’ ‘Little G’, which is due in 2027.

Potentially the biggest reveal of 2025 will be the Mercedes-AMG concept that is designed to “rewrite the term ‘electric performance’”. Expected to be unveiled in the middle of the year, this one-off supercar aims to demonstrate AMG’s future electric performance capabilities, much like the EQXX did for mainstream Mercedes-Benz EVs.

“Where the EQXX aimed to go the furthest, this aims to go the fastest. It will be the fastest-accelerating car AMG has ever produced,” a high-ranking insider told Autocar.

The supercar is said to be “not a million miles away” from the firm’s striking One-Eleven concept revealed in 2023 and will showcase AMG’s next-generation drivetrain technology, including an axial-flux electric motor developed by Mercedes-owned UK company Yasa. The same motor will also be used by the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV and electric version of the GT 4-Door Coupé.

Additionally, the concept will feature a next-generation battery, possibly a solid-state unit developed in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz’s High Performance Powertrain division in Brixworth.

Meanwhile, the first deliveries of the ultra-exclusive Mercedes-AMG SL Maybach and SL PureSpeed are set to begin in the middle of 2025. At the same time, and emphasising AMG’s motorsport ties, Mercedes-AMG will also unveil new GT2 F1 and GT3 F1 variants of the current GT.

2026 launches

If 2025 sounds busy, 2026 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for Mercedes. It will start with the reveal of the facelifted S-Class, which will remain on sale until 2030 before the arrival of a significantly more advanced ICE successor.

The updated S-Class will have a refreshed front end featuring a larger, illuminated grille, along with redesigned lighting elements for a more modern look. Inside, the latest MBUX Superscreen, running new MB:OS software, will enhance the digital experience. The car will feature next-generation, level-three autonomous driving hardware. Under the bonnet, following the mid-2023 update to the six-cylinder engines, the facelift will bring a powertrain upgrade that will exceed 517bhp.

Shortly after, Mercedes will reveal a comprehensively re-engineered version of the EQS. As reported by Autocar, it will adopt the S-Class name. However, the ICE and EV variants won’t share a platform. The ICE model will use a further developed version of today’s MRA architecture and the EV will sit on the MB:EA Large platform.

As a result, the new electric S-Class will feature an 800V system. Combined with new power electronics and advanced inverters and electric motor technology, it promises significant improvements in drivetrain efficiency, range and charging speeds over today’s EQS. 

Mercedes’ momentum in the EV market will continue with the launch of the pivotal new electric C-Class, a direct rival to BMW’s upcoming Neue Klasse-based i3 saloon. It will be the second model to use MB:EA Medium, after the electric GLC, with which it shares key components.

Set to be revealed at the 2026 Beijing motor show, it will be offered in single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor, all-wheel-drive guises, including a planned 600bhp-plus range-topping C63 EQ. An estate version of the EV is not planned.

The launch of the electric C-Class will precede that of a heavily upgraded version of today’s petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid C-Class. Arriving in both saloon and estate bodystyles, it is scheduled to appear in the second half of 2026.

By then, Mercedes also expects to reveal further details of its junior G-Class. First confirmed for production by chairman Ola Källenius at the 2023 Munich motor show, it is currently in the early stages of development, with a launch tentatively planned for 2027.

Also during 2026, Mercedes will unveil facelifted versions of the EQS SUV, EQE saloon and EQE SUV – all three of which are planned to be upgraded with the same MB:EA Large platform as the S-Class EV. Launches are pencilled in for the end of 2026. Upgraded versions of the US-built GLE and GLS will arrive around the same time.

However, the big highlight of 2026 is set to be the unveiling of Mercedes-AMG’s first dedicated electric model: a Lotus Emeya-rivalling saloon conceived as a sibling to the combustion-powered GT 4-Door Coupé.

The first car to be based on the AMG:EA electric platform, it will use Yasa motors that are claimed to develop up to 486bhp and 590lb ft and weigh just 24kg. The dual-motor launch model is expected to make as much as 972bhp and 1180lb ft. A Porsche Taycan Turbo GT-rivalling tri-motor variant, with one motor at the front and two at the rear, is also in development.

2027's big stars

Looking even further forward, Mercedes-Benz has already signalled plans to launch two major all-new models.

One is the junior G-Class, or ‘little G’, which will be a smaller sibling to the legendary off-roader and sold exclusively with an electric drivetrain. It is intended to give Mercedes a foothold in the popular rugged crossover market.