- One German media report suggests Mercedes internally considers the fully electric G580 a flop.
- It only sold 1,450 units compared to 9,700 combustion variant deliveries through April.
- Mercedes is reportedly considering giving combustion power to the upcoming "junior G" model, which was originally planned to be EV only.
Most new Mercedes G-Wagens live a pampered, garage-queen lifestyle. They’re almost never taken off-road and only really do short trips in and around town. You would think that with this kind of life, going electric would be a great match for the lifestyle of most owners. However, despite the new electric G-Class's appeal, it’s not finding buyers, and Mercedes is reportedly scrambling for solutions.
Handelsblatt quotes one unnamed company insider as saying, “The car is sitting like lead at dealers; it's a complete flop," while another reportedly said, "It's a niche model; production numbers are very low." Apparently, only 1,450 units were sold through April of this year, considerably less than the combustion variants, which totaled 9,700 sales.
Mercedes doesn’t officially admit that the G580 is a flop, instead pointing to combined G-Class sales that beat all previous records in Q4 2024 and improved 18% so far in 2025. Frankly, we weren’t expecting the G580 to outsell the V-8 powered variants, which remain the most popular. Even though 1,450 deliveries seems like a low number, it’s not that bad for what is a niche vehicle with a starting price in Europe of almost €147,000. In the U.S., it starts at $162,250.
Our colleagues at Motor1 reached out to Mercedes-Benz for clarification on the matter and Markus Nast, Manager Global Communication Compact Cars, Midsize Cars, G-Class said
"The G-Class continues to be proven popular. The G-Class achieved its best-ever sales quarter in Q4 2024 and continued its strong sales performance in the first quarter of 2025 with sales up +18% compared to last year. Mercedes-Benz is prepared for all market scenarios. Into the 2030s, we can flexibly offer vehicles with both a fully electric drivetrain or an electrified high-tech combustion engine. Our customers decide what suits them best. This applies also for the G-Class."
We were really impressed when we drove the G580, with a quad-motor powertrain that turns it into the most capable version off-road. Its claimed range of 239 miles (385 km) on the EPA cycle isn’t amazing, and it’s less than what a G63 achieves on a full tank, but I don't think most buyers are getting these for road trips.
The main problem is likely that the people who want a G-Class want the big V-8 because of how it makes the car feel. Mercedes is well aware of this, which is why it made the G-Roar faux acceleration sound very similar to the V-8’s engine note. Having driven a G580 not that long ago and toggling G-Roar on and off, having the piped-in engine noise certainly lifted the experience and made it more fun. With it on, it frankly doesn’t feel that different from the G63.
Gallery: Mercedes-Benz G580 Review
The German media report also suggests that the G580’s sales performance is so poor that Mercedes is considering putting a combustion engine in the upcoming baby G-Class. Officially, the baby G is intended to be electric-only. However, Mercedes frequently emphasizes its flexibility with powertrains and its ability to offer models with either fully electric or hybrid options. So it's possible that a hybrid version is in the works.
Turning a car that was engineered from the ground up to be electric into a hybrid or combustion car is not unheard of in the automotive industry. Fiat has put ICE under the hood of its 500e after seeing that the pure electric model wasn’t selling as expected, and it had discontinued the aging combustion 500 launched in 2008.
Handelsblatt quotes a Mercedes engineer who said that the company was “examining” making a combustion version of the junior G, adding that the cost to develop this variant would be “manageable” for the automaker. Its launch is still around two years in the future, and it will be interesting to see if any of this actually materializes in the finished production model.
