Mercedes-Benz Is Bringing Back a Convertible G-Wagen

Mercedes made a G-Class Cabriolet for decades beginning in 1979, though it was never sold in the U.S. And it wasn’t sold anywhere else after the last one, the ultra-limited G650 Landaulet, was made in 2018. But, this week, the car maker confirmed that a G-Class Cabriolet will be coming back to its lineup—and globally, too, with the G-Class Cabriolet also planned to be sold stateside for the first time.

Mercedes-Benz G650 Landaulets now sell for seven-figure prices, owing to their rarity, with just 99 made; though, for decades before that, the company made two-seater G-Class convertibles that are a lot more common. Mercedes’s social media announcement was merely a teaser and did not give details about when the new G-Class Cabriolet might be fully unveiled, or disclose what might power it and whether it would be an internal-combustion engine, electric motors, or some mix of the two.

“The icon evolves. The top goes down,” Mercedes said in its announcement. “The legendary G Cabriolet returns.”

The latest-generation G-Class was introduced last year, to mostly positive reviews, updating a model that has become a luxury mainstay and a statement sort of family car for many. The point of it is to be capable, large, and not necessarily comfortable, though, with the new G-Class generation, it has become apparent that Mercedes thinks there is a lot more potential for the SUV with more varied iterations and also, presumably, sales.

The company has previously confirmed it is developing a smaller G-Class that could hit the roads by 2027 and be priced at under $100,000 to compete with cars like the Land Rover Defender X. That car would offer a lower-priced entry point for the G-Class, while possibly lessening its relative exclusivity.

The G-Class Cabriolet, meanwhile, could appear before then, as soon as sometime next year. Mercedes did not say anything about pricing for the G-Class Cabriolet, though Autocar thinks it will start at something significantly more than the starting price for current G-Classes, which, in the U.S., is $148,250. It will presumably be more restrained than Mansory’s G-Class convertible monstrosity, too.