2026 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology (EQG): UAE Buyer's Guide

Starting at 826,900 AED

The G-Wagon finally went silent. Not subtle, just silent. The 2026 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology takes the cult-status G-Class and swaps the V8 for four electric motors, serving up 579 horsepower, a monstrous 859 lb-ft of instant torque, and a 116 kWh battery good for up to 456 km WLTP range. Crucially for the GCC, it keeps the ladder-frame chassis, so it still feels like a proper G in the dunes, only with that party trick G-Turn that lets it pivot on the spot in sand.

For UAE buyers, the real questions are range in 50°C heat, desert ability, and whether it justifies a starting price around AED 826,900. Expect roughly 20 to 30 percent range loss in harsh summer use, which translates into about 350 to 420 km of realistic mixed driving. Independent tests back up the efficiency: Car and Driver recorded 4.1 seconds 0–60 mph, and Edmunds managed 428 km of real-world range, beating EPA estimates.

The journey started with the 2021 Concept EQG, revealed at IAA Mobility with its boxy design and quad-motor promise. Prototypes were hammered in Graz, Austria, through 2023, production was unveiled in 2024, deliveries began for the 2025 model year, and the 2026 cars add refinements like additional OTA updates and regional tuning. Official Mercedes-Benz MENA channels confirm UAE availability through Gargash dealers, with configurators live and test drives bookable in early 2026. You can explore the global model details on the official Mercedes-Benz site.

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2026 Mercedes-Benz EQG Overview & Key Highlights

What Is the EQG? From Concept to G 580

The story starts in 2021 with the Concept EQG, Mercedes’ electric vision of the G-Class, complete with the iconic square body and four motors. That study evolved into the production G 580 with EQ Technology, officially revealed in 2024 and sold as a 2025 model, with 2026 tweaks geared toward markets like the UAE.

Beneath the familiar shape is a proper body-on-frame ladder chassis that now integrates the 116 kWh battery within the frame rails for protection. It keeps core G-Class numbers intact: 100 percent gradeability (a 45-degree climb), 850 mm wading depth, and roughly 9.5 inches of ground clearance. In other words, it did not trade off-road credibility for silence.

Mercedes has quietly moved away from using EQ as a standalone sub-brand. So instead of “EQG” as a separate line, it is now officially the G 580 with EQ Technology, sitting alongside the G 550 and G 63 as part of one family. The badge changed, the recipe did not.

Naming Explained: EQG vs. G 580 with EQ Technology

People will keep calling it the EQG for a while, but the badge on the tailgate says G 580 with EQ Technology. In some markets, you may even see it referenced as G 580e in documents, but for the UAE, Mercedes-Benz MENA shows it clearly as G 580 with EQ Technology, sold through Gargash and marketed as the electric G-Wagon.

So if you see “EQG” in reviews and “G 580 with EQ Technology” on a price list, they are talking about the same vehicle, the production version of the 2021 Concept EQG.

Core Specs: 579 HP, 116 kWh Battery & Quad Motors

The headline numbers are unashamedly bold.

- Power & torque:
The G 580 delivers 579 horsepower and 859 lb-ft of torque from four permanent-magnet synchronous motors, one at each wheel. In some configurations, peak output nudges up to 588 hp for short bursts. Torque arrives instantly, which makes a traditional G 63 feel almost lazy off the line.

- Powertrain layout:
Each motor has its own 2‑speed reduction gearbox for a low-range off-road setting, while on-road it effectively behaves like a single-speed direct drive. No transfer case, no mechanical differentials; software does the heavy lifting.

- Chassis & weight:
The ladder-frame is reinforced to carry a double-stacked battery pack. Up front you get independent suspension; the rear sticks with a solid axle, combined with adaptive damping. Curb weight is about 3,060 kg, with a GVWR around 3,500 kg, and it can tow up to 3,500 kg with trailer sway control.

Inside the frame sits a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack that feeds those four motors without any hint of turbo lag or gear hunting.

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Performance and Powertrain

Quad-Motor AWD: Instant Torque vs. G 63 V8

If you know how a G 63 piles on speed with its 627 lb-ft V8, this feels like someone removed the wait time. The quad-motor setup delivers 859 lb-ft from a standstill, no revs needed. Each wheel gets its own motor, so the system can precisely vector torque instead of relying on three physical locking differentials.

Top speed is electronically limited to 180 km/h on UAE highways. Above that, the battle is with aero drag, not with the powertrain. The front motors can decouple for efficiency in steady cruising, then jump back in when you need pull. Where the V8 builds torque, the G 580 simply has it.

Acceleration: 0–100 km/h in 4.7 Seconds

Factory figures put it at about 4.6 to 4.7 seconds 0–100 km/h. It feels sharper than the G 63’s quoted 4.2 seconds, mainly because there is no hesitation off the line.

Car and Driver tested it at 4.1 seconds 0–60 mph, with a quarter-mile pass in 12.6 seconds at 108 mph. For a 3‑tonne brick, those numbers are frankly absurd.

G-Turn & Off-Road Modes: Tank Turns in Sand

G-Turn is the headline party trick. On loose surfaces like sand, the G 580 can rotate on its own axis by spinning the left and right wheels in opposite directions, up to two full rotations. It is restricted to specific off-road drive modes, so you cannot accidentally do a donut in a mall parking garage, but on soft dunes it is a crowd-pleaser.

G-Steer is subtler. It tightens the turning circle by selectively braking or reversing the inner rear wheel, which helps when picking your way through tight dune bowls. The Off-Road Cockpit displays torque per wheel, slope angle, steering angle, and tire pressures, which is particularly handy when you are trying to judge whether that next crest is a commitment or a mistake.

The quad-motor system essentially creates virtual locking differentials. Instead of clunking into lock and hoping a wheel catches, the car constantly fine-tunes power delivery in milliseconds. In soft sand, where momentum and control are everything, that feels like a cheat code.

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Range, Battery & Charging in UAE Conditions

Official Specs: 456 km WLTP, 116 kWh Usable

The battery pack offers 116 kWh usable capacity from a roughly 124 kWh gross pack. Official range is 456 km WLTP, which loosely translates to around 385 km in EPA-style terms, or about 239 miles. Mercedes reportedly explored silicon-anode tech but stuck with a proven lithium-ion chemistry paired with liquid cooling.

Real-World UAE Range: City, Highway & Desert

Reality in the UAE is different from a mild European test cycle. In 45–50°C heat with strong AC, you should assume a 20–30 percent hit to range.

- MotorTrend recorded about 328 km in mixed use.
- Edmunds’ EV Range Test achieved 428 km, roughly 11 percent above its EPA rating.
- At around 120 km/h highway cruise, independent tests suggested roughly 289 km of usable range.

No large-scale desert-only tests in the UAE have been published yet, but low-speed dune driving can be surprisingly efficient compared to high-speed highway work, as long as you avoid constant full-throttle climbs.

Approximate UAE ranges look like this:

Charging: 200 kW DC (10–80% in 32 Minutes) on DEWA / ADNOC

On fast chargers, the G 580 peaks at around 200 kW DC, going from 10 to 80 percent in roughly 32 minutes under ideal conditions. In testing, a 10–90 percent session took about 46 minutes, averaging around 128 kW.

It uses CCS, so it works with DEWA and ADNOC public charging infrastructure.

At home:

- 9.6–11 kW AC wallbox: a full charge from near empty takes about 12–14 hours on a typical UAE 3‑phase villa supply.
- Apartments often top out at 7.4 kW, which stretches the time, but an overnight charge is still entirely realistic.

Preconditioning the battery through the app before a fast-charge session helps keep charging speeds high even in peak summer.

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Off-Road Capability: Desert-Ready Electric G-Wagon

Key Metrics: 100% Gradeability, 850–900 mm Wading

The numbers line up with what long-time G owners expect:

- 100 percent climb, essentially a 45‑degree slope.
- 850 mm wading depth, roughly to the top of the wheel arches.
- Approach angle about 31 degrees, departure about 30 degrees, and a breakover angle around 25.7 degrees.

Heavy-duty underbody skid plates protect the entire battery area, so the car is meant to belly out in sand or rocks without cooking the pack.

Quad-Motor Advantages: Virtual Diffs & Torque Vectoring

Where a conventional G 63 uses three mechanical diff locks, the G 580 leans on its four motors. Each wheel gets exactly the torque it needs, no more, no less. You also get a low-speed crawler function from roughly 1–12 km/h, which is useful for steep descents, rocky sections, or carefully edging over dunes.

Compared directly with the G 63:

- The electric model has 859 lb-ft of immediate torque versus the G 63’s 627 lb-ft.
- It reacts faster than any mechanical differential can.
- Power is easier to meter in sand; no turbo rush, no manual lock timing.

The trade-off is weight, which you will feel in deep, churned-up sand or on technical rock steps. You need to respect physics, even with clever torque vectoring.

G 580 vs. Petrol G 63: Dunes, Rocks & Heat

On dunes, the electric torque and traction management make it feel easier to drive smoothly, especially for less experienced off-roaders. The G 63 is still the purist’s choice for hardcore rock crawling thanks to its lower weight and mechanical simplicity, but in soft sand, the G 580 often feels more composed and a bit mischievous with G-Turn and G-Steer.

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Design, Interior & Technology

Exterior: Classic G Shape, Subtle EV Details

From a distance, it looks like a G-Wagon, not a spaceship. The silhouette is the same upright box, now around 4,863 mm long including the rear storage box. The closed-off grille, specific LED signatures, and aero-optimized 20‑inch wheels give away the EV identity.

The spare wheel is replaced by a rear-mounted storage box that can hold charging cables and kit. Small aero tweaks, including spoilers and smoothing panels, are claimed to improve efficiency by roughly 5 percent, which matters at 140 km/h.

Luxe Cabin: Dual 12.3" MBUX, Burmester, Massage Seats

Inside, it fits the price tag. Two 12.3‑inch screens handle instruments and infotainment. Depending on market spec, you can get an extended “Hyperscreen-style” layout, but even the regular dual-screen arrangement looks properly premium.

Highlights include:

- Nappa leather upholstery.
- 64‑color ambient lighting.
- Burmester 3D surround sound with Dolby Atmos.
- Multicontour front seats with 8 massage programs.
- Heated and ventilated rear seats.

It feels more like a rolling lounge than a traditional off-roader, especially when you are crawling quietly through traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Off-Road Cockpit: Real-Time Dune Data

The Off-Road Cockpit gathers the nerdy stuff into one place:

- Compass and altimeter.
- Digital horizon and roll / pitch angles.
- Steering angle and torque distribution.
- Tire pressure readouts.

Through the 360‑degree cameras, the Transparent Hood feature overlays a virtual view of what is under the front of the car, ideal for cresting dunes or inching over rocks. The ladder-frame structure carries over from the petrol G-Class, so you still get that solid, old-school feel, only with very new-school data on the screens.

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Safety & Driver Assistance

ADAS Suite: Active Brake, Lane Keep, Transparent Hood

The driver-assistance list is long, and mostly familiar:

- Active Brake Assist.
- Lane Keeping Assist.
- DISTRONIC adaptive cruise control.
- Blind Spot Assist.
- PARKTRONIC with automated parking.

The Transparent Hood and high-res camera suite double as safety aids in tight off-road or parking scenarios.

EV-Specific: Battery Protection & High-Voltage Safety

Under the floor, the battery is wrapped in a heavily reinforced casing with thick underbody armor. In a serious impact, the high-voltage system isolates automatically. Formal crash scores from Euro NCAP, NHTSA, and IIHS are expected once 2026 testing rounds are complete.

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Pricing, Release & UAE Availability

Global MSRPs: From About US $162,650

In the United States, early pricing sits around US $162,650, which equates to roughly AED 597,000 at an exchange rate of about 3.67. Well-optioned test cars easily reach the equivalent of AED 707,000 before local taxes and dealer margins.

UAE On-Road: 826,900–1,300,000 AED

Once you add 5 percent VAT, registration, regional options, and typical dealer equipment, the UAE on-road figures move to about 826,900–1,300,000 AED. Gargash configurators for Dubai and Abu Dhabi list starting prices around AED 949,000 in some trims, depending on spec and early allocation.

So yes, you are comfortably in G 63 money, and then some, but operating costs lean heavily in the G 580’s favor.

Release Timeline: Late 2025 Orders, Early 2026 Deliveries

- US / EU orders: late 2025.
- First UAE customer deliveries: expected Q1 2026 via Gargash.

Order books are effectively open, and early allocations in the region tend to go quickly. As of now, there are no widely reported global delays or recalls.

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Ownership: Living With an Electric G-Wagon in the UAE

Running Costs: Electricity vs. Fuel

If you drive a G 63, you already know how painful the fuel stops can be. The G 580 changes that math dramatically.

- Home electricity in the UAE runs roughly AED 0.30–0.50 per kWh.
- A full charge of about 116 kWh costs in the region of AED 40–60, giving around 300 km of usable real-world driving.
- A similar 300 km in a G 63 can easily burn AED 200+ in petrol, depending on how “enthusiastically” you drive.

Over 5 years, total cost of ownership can be about 30 percent lower for the G 580, even when you factor in pricier tires and potentially higher insurance premiums.

Charging Infrastructure: DEWA, ADNOC & Home Setup

For daily life:

- Dubai has DEWA fast chargers scattered across malls, business districts, and main routes, with units up to 200 kW.
- Abu Dhabi and other emirates use ADNOC and other providers, also rolling out CCS fast chargers.

For home:

- Villas: an 11 kW wallbox typically costs around AED 5,000 installed and is the easiest solution if you own your property.
- Apartments: you may need to rely on shared building chargers or negotiate with management for a 7.4–11 kW wallbox in your parking space.

Warranty: 8-Year Battery, Desert Service Tips

Mercedes covers the battery for 8 years / 160,000 km, and the rest of the vehicle for 4 years / 100,000 km. That aligns broadly with other premium EVs.

For heavy desert use:

- Precondition the battery and cabin before you leave the house, especially in peak summer.
- Avoid repeated full-throttle climbs in soft sand at very low speeds, which generates a lot of heat with little airflow.
- Dealers offer “heat service” packs and software updates specifically tuned for Gulf conditions.

With reasonable care, the car is built to cope with the UAE climate rather than merely survive it.

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Key Takeaways & Who Should Buy

If you want the visual drama and presence of a G-Class with the instant torque of an EV and are happy to pay for it, this is currently the most extreme answer on the market.

The G 580 with EQ Technology suits:

- Villa owners who can install a wallbox and mostly do sub‑50 km daily drives.
- Drivers who spend weekends in the dunes and like the idea of G-Turn, torque vectoring, and near-silent off-roading.
- Buyers looking ahead at fuel costs, city regulations, and resale trends, and betting that the cleanest G will age well.

It is not ideal if you regularly do 600+ km single-day road trips into areas with weak charging infrastructure or if you are deeply attached to the sound of a hand-built AMG V8. For the rest, it is a very serious, very fast, very capable statement piece.

Summary Table

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People also ask

Is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz EQG the same as G 580 with EQ Technology?

Yes, the 2026 electric G-Class people call “EQG” is officially sold as the G 580 with EQ Technology after Mercedes’ EQ rebranding.

Mercedes EQG UAE price and release date?

Prices start from around 826,900 AED, with first customer deliveries in early 2026 through Gargash dealers.

2026 EQG range in UAE heat?

Expect roughly 350–420 km of mixed driving with around 20–30 percent range loss in 50°C conditions due to AC and cooling loads.

Mercedes EQG off-road vs. traditional G-Wagon?

Off-road, the electric G offers superior torque vectoring, G-Turn, and G-Steer. In soft sand, it often feels more controllable than a traditional G-Wagon, although the petrol G 63 stays lighter for hardcore rock work.

How much will Mercedes EQG cost in UAE?

Budget around 826k–1.3M AED on-road, depending on options and early allocations, which places it above many G 63 configurations.

Where can I find certified pre-owned luxury cars in UAE?

You can browse certified pre-owned luxury cars on Alba Cars.