Electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class and plug-in hybrid SL63 confirmed for Malaysia; 6-cyl G500 ruled out

Malaysia is set to get the fully-electric version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV (officially named ‘G580 with EQ Technology‘) and the plug-in hybrid version of the SL63 grand tourer (officially called ‘SL63 E Performance‘).

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM) pricing and product management GM Christian Grimberg revealed this to paultan.org during the company’s ongoing ‘Luxury Like No Other’ event, although he stopped short of divulging any timelines.

Additionally, the G500 – now with a more road tax-friendly 3.0 litre straight-six; the 4.0 litre V8 having waved goodbye through the Final Edition model – is not on the cards for Malaysia, so the just-launched Mercedes-AMG G63 is your only G-Class choice for now.

That is, until the EV arrives on our shores. Unveiled in Beijing in April, the G580 with EQ Technology (we don’t know why it didn’t take the concept’s simpler EQG name) has four 147 PS electric motors (1,164 Nm of torque in total) and a de Dion rear axle to accommodate the electric powertrain.

0-100 km/h is done in 4.7 seconds. A 116 kWh lithium-ion battery yields a 473 km WLTP range, and if you charge it at the max 200 kW DC, you’ll go from 10-80% SoC in 32 minutes. It can also tank turn!

Now let’s talk about the opposite end of the spectrum – the Mercedes-AMG SL63. Yes, the current R232 generation has a plug-in hybrid variant, and it’s at the top of the SL range.

Fitting, because it’s the most powerful SL of all time, marrying the familiar 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 to a rear electric motor to give you 805 PS and 1,420 Nm of torque, so you’ll hit 100 km/h from rest in 2.9 seconds.

It may only have an EV range of around 13 km (the system is designed primarily to aid performance rather than electric-only drive), but it’s still the closest thing yet to an electric Mercedes roadster.

If you’re in the market for these, would you wait for the electric G-Class (it could be cheaper than the G63 if it arrives before the CBU EV tax exemption expires end-2025) or PHEV SL instead of getting the just-launched G63 and SL63?

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology global debut in Beijing

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology

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