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The man in charge of Mercedes-Benz does a 360-degree turn on the spot in the EQG, and Hyundai won’t come out with a Sonata N or a “stupid loser” electric hot hatchback.
This is AM Drive, Motor1’s daily look at the news you need before you get in your car.
Mercedes EQG Does A “G Turn” With Company Boss Behind The Wheel
Mercedes introduced the G-Class in the late 1970s and it didn’t give the legendary off-roader a thorough update until the early 1990s. It wasn’t until 2018 when a true next-generation model was launched, and in 2024, another big transformation will take place. The engineers are about to yank off the oily bits for a fully electric version. Don’t worry – the ICE G-Class will continue, and it’s going to get a facelift. A new video puts the spotlight on the EQG ahead of its forthcoming debut.
We get to see none other than the Mercedes CEO driving the electric G-Class in Austria up the Schöckl mountain. The video gets even more interesting when Ola Källenius does a so-called G Turn. It’s basically a tank turn, and if you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to performing a 180-degree turn on the spot. This is going to be offered in the EQG, and it looks as though it’ll be activated by pressing a button and using the left paddle behind the steering wheel.
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Mercedes’ head honcho actually did a 360-degree turn but there’s a setting available in the infotainment system enabling the EQG to perform a 90-degree turn. The Swedish-born executive explains it can come in handy when you’re off-roading and you get stuck. This is made possible by giving the EQG four electric motors – one for each wheel. To make sure the battery doesn’t get damaged while going off the beaten path, the underbody has been reinforced with two layers of carbon fiber and a different type of material in between.
The G-Class facelift and EQG will break cover in the first part of 2024 and will be followed in the second half of the decade by a “Little G.” The smaller variant is highly unlikely to use a body-on-frame platform as it’s expected to be unibody, so it won’t have the off-road chops of its bigger brother. A fully electric variant has been confirmed.
Hyundai Won’t Launch A Sonata N Or A “Stupid Loser” Performance Hatchback
Speaking at the Australian launch of the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai’s executive technical advisor ruled out a fully fledged N version of the Sonata. The midsize sedan will continue to top out with the N Line as Albert Biermann said a true N model is not going to happen, at least not on its current platform. Why? The man who had a big role in setting up the N division said the “Sonata N Line is no race track [car].”
He also ruled out an electric hot hatchback using a 400V system because that would be a “stupid loser” from day one what with 800V cars coming from China. Albert Biermann mentioned “you better stay at home” instead of launching a 400V sporty hatchback. He added a cheaper hot hatch that would undercut the Ioniq 5 N “has to happen” and that he has already made suggestions to the higher-ups at Hyundai.
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