2028 Mercedes-AMG electric full-size SUV spied testing

• The second model based on the new AMG.EA platform has been spotted testing
• The vehicle is an electric full-size SUV that will follow an electric liftback, also based on the AMG.EA platform
• Camouflaged prototypes hint at styling inspired by the Vision AMG concept from 2022

Mercedes-Benz plans to launch dozens of new models over the next two years, including both electric vehicles and gas-powered models.

One of the new vehicles in the pipeline is an electric full-size SUV being developed by the AMG performance division as a standalone model, similar to its current GT and SL sports cars, as well as the GT 4-Door Coupe liftback.

AMG announced plans for the model last fall, and now a prototype has been spotted undergoing cold-weather testing near the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden, where temperatures at this time of year can drop as low as -40 degrees.

A teaser sketch released alongside AMG’s original confirmation of the vehicle hints at a sleek, almost fastback-like design with powerful haunches. The latest spy shots reveal additional details, including carbon-ceramic brake rotors and a rear end that closely resembles the design of the Vision AMG concept unveiled in 2022. The overall shape bears some similarity to Aston Martin’s DBX.

The Vision AMG concept more closely previews an electric four-door liftback that will serve as a zero-emissions alternative to the current GT 4-Door Coupe. The electric liftback is also undergoing testing and is slated to arrive next year, likely as a 2027 model for the U.S. The electric SUV is expected to follow in 2027, arriving as a 2028 model.

Both vehicles will be based on the new AMG.EA platform, which debuts in the liftback and may also support gas engines, including a new electrified V-8 that AMG is developing. AMG has previously confirmed that the AMG.EA platform will introduce a new high-performance battery concept and take advantage of axial-flux electric motor technology. The battery is expected to leverage AMG’s Formula 1 expertise, particularly in energy discharge, recovery, and possibly cooling.

The axial-flux motors are likely to benefit from insights from Yasa, a British firm specializing in high-performance electric motors that Mercedes acquired in 2021. Axial-flux motors are lighter and more compact than conventional radial-flux motors of similar output. For example, a motor weighing just over 50 pounds can produce approximately 480 hp, and multiple units can be installed. With one motor at each axle, total output could approach 1,000 hp. However, manufacturing these motors is more complex than traditional radial-flux motors, making them significantly more expensive.

There is no indication yet of what the new electric AMGs will be called, but Mercedes is shifting to a new naming strategy in which electric models feature a “with EQ Technology” descriptor, while hybrid models use “with EQ Hybrid Technology.” EQ is taken from Mercedes’ sub-brand for EVs, which the automaker is phasing out for its next generation of EVs. The new naming convention has already been introduced on the electric version of the G-Class SUV, though it remains unclear whether AMG will adopt the same practice. If so, the new SUV could be named something like the AMG GT SUV with EQ Technology.