2024 Mercedes-Benz g-Class rendered

The upcoming Mercedes-Benz 'g-Class' – aka the Little G – will be one of the most eagerly anticipated new models of the decade when it launches globally (hopefully next year) and it's clearly on the minds of compact 4x4 fans given another unofficial render has just been published.

Mocked-up from scratch by popular digital creator SRK Designs, the rendered Little G you see here looks every bit as tough as its full-size sibling, albeit in a more rough and ready way compared to the fire-breathing Mercedes-AMG G 63’s gangster vibe.

There’s been plenty of rumours and speculation as to what form the g-Class will take – internal combustion or battery-electric – but odds are it will ride on Mercedes-Benz's upcoming MMA platform, which is being created primarily as an EV architecture but will still accommodate combustion engines.

SRK Designs is running with the theory that the Little G will be a “smaller version of the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQG” and has accordingly sprinkled some EV-specific design cues into its render, such as blue trim, a largely enclosed nose and minimal undercarriage baggage.

That would make the little three-door off-roader more expensive and less attractive to many buyers than the hard-core Suzuki Jimny, but a single-hoop bull bar and huge BF Goodridge all-terrain tyres wrapped around a set of two-tone multi-piece rims – like those you see here – would make it nearly unstoppable off-road, especially if it has an electric powertrain.

Clearly decked-out for overlanding and touring duties, SRK's unofficial g-Class is also fitted with a roof basket, five LED spotlights and what looks like some sort of swag or camping gear.

Mercedes-Benz is yet to detail the Little G or provide an official timeline for its release, but CEO Ola Källenius has promised it will be worth the wait.

“For all the G fans out there, there will be a little G – a son or daughter of the iconic big G,” he said in September when the project was teased.

“We have not announced timing yet, but if you wait for something good it will be worth the wait.”

Digital image: SRK Designs