Mercedes-AMG Performance EV SUV Looks Like A Bizarro Benz

Mercedes-AMG high performance SUV is based on the carmaker’s AMG.EA architecture, which means it’ll be fully electric. It also means that it won’t be competing with the likes of the Urus, DBX, Purosangue or the BMW XM, but rather the upcoming Porsche EV crossover and possibly whatever electric crossover Ferrari and Lamborghini are currently working on.
 

How do we know all this? Well, we have irrefutable evidence. Not only has Mercedes teased this upcoming high-performance EV back in November of last year, but our spy photographers managed to snap plenty of images of it while undergoing testing on public roads. Which is also why we have a pretty good idea of what it looks like – more on that later.
 
The only thing I’m not so sure about is the segment this car will slot into. The carmaker announced that its first stand-alone performance SUV will be a full-sized model, but recent spy images point to something a little more compact-to-midsized.
 
I think they realized they couldn’t make it too big to the point where it’s not fun to drive anymore. But they also couldn’t make it too compact, because this is ultimately a luxury product, so to speak.
 
While fully electric, this upcoming model is said to follow the “AMG first, EV second” philosophy, which is great news for potential buyers. The segment is already taking shape. It’ll feature this yet-unnamed Mercedes-AMG product, but also Porsche’s future K1 electric SUV, a battery electric Ferrari and, I’m guessing, a production variant of the Lamborghini Lanzador concept.
 
Little is known with regards to the performance, but we might see Mercedes-AMG employ the YASA axial-flux motors announced alongside the Vision One-Eleven concept from 2023. These motors can develop up to 480 horsepower each, which means that a possible tri or quad-motor setup could see this SUV easily reach 1,000 horsepower.
 

In terms of efficiency, AMG.EA batteries are estimated to feature a 40% energy density improvement over current tech, which means that a 125-kWh battery pack isn’t outside the realm of possibility for this vehicle – while the 800-volt architecture should allow for extremely fast charge times.
 
Now, as for this rendering courtesy of Kolesa, it looks relatively accurate from a proportions and design language standpoint, although that doesn’t mean the final product will end up looking exactly like this. I’m sure there will be plenty of differences, including at the rear. There’s no reason to believe there will be a full-width light bar where the edges drip down into the rear spoiler – unless they’re going with a Vision EQXX styling.
 
For all we know, the taillights could be a lot more conventional. We certainly can’t draw any conclusions from the prototype because it’s very well camouflaged. Meanwhile, the front end probably looks a little different in real life too, compared to the rendering. My feeling is that it’s sharper and more angular as opposed to it being so… plucky.
 
What do you guys think about this design?