Mercedes-AMG GLR High-Performance EV Has Tesla Instead Of BMW In Sights

AMG is developing its first fully electric SUV on the dedicated AMG.EA platform, set to compete with the Porsche Cayenne EV and Lotus Eletre. Unlike the upgraded Mercedes EQE SUV, this model is a standalone high-performance vehicle, likely a full-size SUV akin to the GLS. Drawing design cues from the Vision AMG concept and the upcoming second-gen GT 4-Door Coupe, it will prioritize AMG performance with all-electric capabilities.
 

Launching around 2026, the SUV will feature advanced axial flux motors from Yasa, offering up to 480 horsepower per motor with potential for a quad-motor setup, exceeding 1,000 horsepower. These lightweight motors deliver high power density, complemented by a slimmer, 40% denser battery pack and 800-volt fast-charging technology. Pricing is expected to exceed the $110,750 (€104,700 EUR, £90,800 GBP) base of the Mercedes-AMG EQE SUV.
 
Because nobody asked the automotive world for yet another ultra-luxury super-SUV, Mercedes-AMG is also very close to unleashing one, albeit with a twist – it’s an all-electric high-performance machine.
 
Just recently, the Mercedes-AMG GT 43 Coupe was launched in America, and at over $107k, it’s probably one of the most expensive four-cylinder cars in the world. As such, what can we expect going forward? More vehicles that cost an arm and a leg, of course. Back in November, they also announced via a mysterious teaser they are preparing their entry into the league of all-electric super-SUVs.
 
By the way, despite the fact that Mercedes-AMG already offers a high-performance version of the all-electric Mercedes EQE SUV, this thing is something else – the performance brand will create its dedicated electric high-riding vehicle based on the fancy new AMG.EA platform, and it will be the first-ever SUV created entirely by Mercedes-AMG.
 

So, rather than updating and upgrading an existing Mercedes, the good folks over in Affalterbach are developing a separate high-performance SUV. Apparently, while the teaser image depicts a rather compact stance, these CGIs are cheaters because the rumor mill believes it will be a full-size model around the size of a Mercedes-Benz GLS rather than a GLE. As such, it won’t compete with the electrified BMW XM plug-in hybrid dedicated performance SUV, and instead, it sets its sights on the Tesla Model X Plaid or the upcoming all-electric Porsche Cayenne.
 
Naturally, the wacky perspective of Mercedes-AMG producing its first in-house-developed crossover SUV on a dedicated all-electric platform was enough to attract the attention of the parallel universes of vehicular CGI and its merry band of members of the imaginative guild of digital car content creators. More precisely, Avarvarii Automotive Artworks (aka ‘avarvarii’ on social media) has taken a good, extended look at AMG’s plans for this EV crossover SUV model and came up with his unofficial, hypothetical interpretation.
 
The pixel master’s design project focuses on creating the potential ‘Mercedes-AMG GLR’ as AMG’s first SUV and all-electric vehicle that uses the dedicated AMG.EA platform to provide an answer to Europe’s Lotus Eletre and the upcoming Porsche Cayenne EV, as well as America’s Tesla Model X. The CGI expert used the Vision AMG concept and the forthcoming AMG GT 4-Door Coupe as design inspiration, and for the technical prowess he takes AMG’s word for it – this model will supposedly prioritize performance and only afterward will remember it’s also an electric vehicle.
 
Set to launch around 2026, the upcoming Mercedes-AMG all-electric SUV will feature the latest available technology, and the artist suggests the advanced axial flux motors from Yasa Motors with up to 480 hp per motor and a potential quad-motor setup that will greatly exceed 1,000 horsepower. These motors are light and have a higher power density – they will also be complemented by a slimmer but 40%-denser battery pack with 800-volt fast-charging technology. Cool, right?