MINI G HERALDS G-CLASS EXPANSION

The incoming 'baby' Mercedes-Benz G-Class will sit on a bespoke ladder-frame platform, use "nearly all unique" parts and sport a design that "is even more modern than the current car", bosses have said.

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The new SUV will arrive within the next two years and will be the entry point to what is planned to be a new range of models, with Mercedes turning the G-Class into a brand in its own right - in much the same way JLR has done with Range Rover.

Speaking at the Munich show, Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius said test mules would be appearing on roads "very soon". A new preview image of the incoming model's rear end was also revealed.

The 'Mini G' will be based on a unique architecture, confirmed tech boss Markus Schäfer, in order to be "as authentic as possible".

He added: "The G is a very special, authentic car, and the Mini G has to be authentic. So I cannot take just a platform, I cannot take an existing platform - I have to create my own. It's a completely new development."