The Return of the Ceiling-Less G

On July 24th, Mercedes-Benz dropped a teaser on the G-Class official social media account showing a partially camouflaged four-door G-Class slowly retracting its soft top, with the fabric roof folding toward the rear, ultimately stacking behind the rear seats, leaving both front and rear passengers with open sky above their heads.

The preview vehicle's vertical grille, side-exit exhaust, and AMG badging all point toward the AMG G 63. Mercedes hasn't yet revealed the official model name, powertrain, pricing, or launch date, but it's confirmed that the G-Class Cabriolet is making its comeback after years away.

The new model retains the current G-Class's four-door long-wheelbase design, with the soft top seemingly extending further forward over the front seats. Compared to the 2017 Maybach G 650 Landaulet, which only opened the sky for rear passengers, this time even the driver gets a taste of the outdoors.

Mercedes confirmed back in December 2025 that the G-Class Cabriolet had entered road and test-track validation, followed by winter testing in Sweden. The earlier camouflage photos already revealed the four-door body and fabric soft top; the new video now shows the full roof-retraction process.

From the footage, the roof can fold itself automatically — the soft top moves rearward along the roof rails, folding down to roughly the level of the spare tire mount. The old short-wheelbase G-Class Cabriolet required manually releasing front latches; this new version skips that step entirely.

The folding roof also introduces some unavoidable design compromises on this blocky SUV. The wide front header and rear crossmember are always in view, and the redesigned rear section relocates the third brake light to the spare-tire cover. Like previous G-Class convertibles, the folded top remains exposed at the rear, eating into cargo space. For most buyers of this kind of vehicle, practicality isn't the priority anyway.

The car is expected to be based on the AMG G 63. The current AMG G 63 packs a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 paired with a 48V electric motor, producing 430kW and sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.4 seconds. Whether the new G Cabriolet will tweak that formula remains to be seen.

Historically, factory G-Class Cabriolets have almost always used short-wheelbase two-door bodies; the four-door soft-top treatment only appeared briefly on the limited-run G 650 Landaulet. This marks the first time a regular four-door G-Class is being offered with a full convertible experience, pushing the Cabriolet back into the spotlight of the G-Class lineup.

The relationship between the G-Class and convertibles dates back to 1979. When the first G-Class launched, buyers could choose between a short-wheelbase Cabriolet (soft top), a short-wheelbase Station Wagon, and a long-wheelbase Station Wagon. Back then, the G-Class still carried strong utilitarian roots, and the convertible made sense for loading cargo.

The 1989 W463 generation shifted the G-Class toward luxury. With wood trim, leather upholstery, and richer comfort features entering the cabin, the G-Class evolved from a hardcore off-road tool into an expensive plaything, and the Cabriolet followed suit, becoming one of the priciest variants in the range.

By 1998, the G 500 with its V8 engine became the new flagship, and the Cabriolet solidified its position as a top-tier variant. Mercedes eventually ended the regular production run with the G 500 Cabriolet Final Edition 200 in 2013 — a total of 200 units that sold out quickly, giving the long-running soft-top variant a dignified sendoff.

The short-wheelbase Cabriolet's exit wasn't entirely due to weak demand — more a result of the G-Class lineup shrinking. Around 2011, Mercedes killed the short-wheelbase three-door hardtop, leaving the Cabriolet as the last civilian model on that chassis. As the brand doubled down on the long-wheelbase five-door version, keeping a low-volume convertible didn't make much business sense.

Four years later, Mercedes revived the concept through the Maybach brand with the limited G 650 Landaulet — 99 units that combined the G 65's V12 engine, the G 500 4×4²'s solid front axle, and a Maybach rear cabin, all under an electric soft top that covered the back half. That was the first four-door long-wheelbase G-Class convertible.

Over four decades, the same roof structure has served different purposes: early soft tops prioritized utility, the W463 era added leisure, and the G 650 Landaulet tied the open-air experience directly to luxury. The new G-Class Cabriolet will likely follow that same playbook, becoming a fresh benchmark for G-Class opulence.

Mercedes is relaunching the G-Class Cabriolet at a time when the model is peaking. In 2025, global G-Class deliveries hit 49,700 units, up 23% year-over-year, setting a new record. Klaus Wissemann even stated the new convertible will launch across nearly every market Mercedes covers. Given the current AMG G 63 setup, the new G-Class Cabriolet may also come to China — interested buyers should start preparing now.

The "open-air feeling" is a shared dream among SUVs.

Off-roading always pulls people deeper into nature. Four-wheel drive, locking differentials, and high ground clearance let these vehicles venture into remote terrain, but another side of off-roading is simply coexisting with nature — and finding ways to blend in is part of the appeal.

While Mercedes is literally lifting the roof off the G-Class, Chinese automakers are reaching upward for more space.

The Xiaomi Pengcheng N90 Max Camping Edition carries the official name "plug-in hybrid culture and lifestyle service vehicle," featuring a built-in lifting roof mechanism. Once extended, it provides a roof bed platform, with side cabinets and side awning connections inside. When parked, the lifting roof creates sitting and sleeping space above the bed, while the lower cargo area remains usable — turning one SUV into two levels of rest.

The Xpeng G9 Top-Hammock Edition takes a similar approach. Its roof lifts from one side and unfolds into a tent-like structure. Xpeng's Richard Door calls it an integrated electric top-hammock design that creates a double-layered leisure space perfect for sightseeing. The tailgate even integrates a mini kitchen for cooking and brewing.

The G-Class Cabriolet, N90 Max Camping Edition, and G9 Top-Hammock Edition use completely different mechanisms but converge on the same idea: letting occupants connect with the outdoors. Chinese brands are arguably more creative here — Mercedes opens the sky above, while Xiaomi and Xpeng focus on post-parking outdoor experiences.

Forty-seven years ago, when the first G-Class Cabriolet adopted a soft top, nobody could've predicted it would eventually become a symbol of lifestyle and exclusivity. Today, whether it's Mercedes, Xiaomi, Xpeng, or increasingly more brands tying the outdoors to emotional value, cars are being redefined — and genuine contact with nature is becoming a legitimate selling point.

The ceiling-less G returns right on time.