Mercedes-Benz Starts Testing New G-Class Cabriolet As An Early Holiday Gift To Me Specifically

Just three months ago Mercedes-Benz surprised us by announcing that a new G-Class Cabriolet is in the works, releasing a single darkened teaser image showing the side profile of the SUV with the soft top put down. There was a lot we could glean from that teaser, and the subsequent image that was displayed on the screen during the reveal of the electric GLC at the Munich auto show a few days later, but now Mercedes has blessed us with a couple photos of a camouflaged prototype testing on real-life roads following what it says was "an immensely positive response" to the initial teasers. Clearly the automaker knew I couldn't wait to hear more about the new model, so it's given us this early holiday gift.

Mercedes says the first G-wagen cabrio prototypes are completing test miles on roads and test tracks in Austria, near the home of the model in Graz, where engineers "are gathering comprehensive data to ensure the open-top model delivers an unparalleled and unmistakable G‑Class experience." Next, the droptop will head to Sweden where the G-wagen's "rugged capability, driving dynamics and reliability will be thoroughly put to the test in rigid temperatures."

Unlike the first teasers, these photos show the cabrio prototype with the roof up. Aside from the super rare Maybach G650 Landaulet, this will be the first factory G-Class convertible with four doors, and it seems like the doors themselves are shared with a normal G-wagen. With the roof up it has a nearly identical boxy profile and shape to the hardtop G, and it seems I was wrong about there potentially being a quarter window behind the rear doors. There's still a swing-out tailgate with a spare tire, which has the CHMSL mounted on top of it. The soft top has a fairly slim rear window, and camouflage is covering what are probably side windows on the top — actually, it isn't real camouflage on the real-life car, but a piece of camo wrap that has just been photoshopped on for these images, judging by the fuzzy edges and mismatched size between the photos.

Mercedes isn't yet saying which powertrains the new G-Class Cabriolet will get, but this prototype seems to be based on a G550 given the lack of visible exhaust tips and non-AMG wheels; there's a chance this is a G580 EV, but I don't see the little air curtain in the rear fenders that would give that away, and the models otherwise look identical from the rear. The car in the first teaser had the front bumper from an AMG G63. If I were a betting man, I'd say Mercedes will just offer the cabriolet with every powertrain the G-wagen is offered with (though maybe not a diesel), giving buyers the choice of inline-6, AMG V8 or fully electric. As for whether the cabrio will be a limited-production model, I don't think so — but expect it to carry a hefty pricetag. It will be revealed at some point in 2026, likely going on sale by the end of the year.