We’re nearly a third of the way through April, but first quarter sales data continues to trickle out. Some of the latest numbers are from Mercedes and they’re painting a mixed picture.

Starting in the United States, Q1 passenger car retail sales fell approximately 3% to around 70,000 units. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get an accurate picture of things as the automaker no longer breaks sales down by model. Instead, the company now lumps vehicles together and cherry picks numbers that it likes.

More: Germany’s EV Market Was In Freefall A Year Ago, Now EVs Are Outselling Gas Cars

With that massive and annoying caveat aside, Mercedes said they had a “strong performance despite significant market headwinds.” Maybach sales jumped 22%, while the G-Class saw a 16% increase. The SL received a 47% boost, while the GLC and GLE were up 17% and 19%, respectively.

Mercedes also claimed that “customer interest and excitement surrounding the CLA continues to build across the U.S. market.” However, the company declined to provide numbers, so they were presumably pretty bad. The automaker stopped short of confirming this, but implied the situation will improve as “wider availability” is expected in the second quarter as they originally prioritized European sales.

Mercedes US Retail Sales Q1

The firm didn’t even bother mentioning the EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, or EQS SUV. This implies sales were as hot as an Anchorage dumpster fire in January, but surely a yoke will turn things around.

On the van side of the equation, sales fell 6% to roughly 8,500 units. The automaker could barely feign interest, but said they remain “focused on delivering versatile, premium van solutions that support evolving business needs.”

That’s meaningless nonsense, but at least we can look forward to the new VLE and VLS. The latter is getting an ultra-luxurious Maybach variant that promises private jet levels of comfort.

Sales Down Globally As Well

Zooming out, global passenger car sales fell 6% in the first quarter to around 419,400 units. This came despite a 9% increase in EVs, which found around 44,300 takers.

Speaking of which, the automaker said the “new electric GLC has generated more orders in the first three months than any other electric vehicle in our history.” They added order books for the CLA, GLB, and GLC EVs are “filled well into the second half of the year.”

EVs weren’t the only bright spot as European orders for the facelifted S-Class were “above expectations.” The automaker is also expecting to receive a boost from the updated GLE and GLS.

Confusingly, the global release said American car sales climbed 20% to 81,100 units. The company noted these are rounded “preliminary figures,” but that’s significantly more than the 70,000 mentioned earlier. However, this appears to be a case of retail sales vs overall numbers.

[Update: Despite being labeled as “Mercedes-Benz Cars sales” in the international release, the US figure of 81,100 units is said to be total group sales. This implies it includes the 70,000 car and 8,500 van retail sales as well as an additional 2,600 fleet sales.]

This, combined with a lack of model level details, results in a confusing maze of piecemeal information that – at times – seems contradictory. Regardless, the brand is tanking hard in China as sales were down 27% to around 111,600 units.

When it comes to vans, global sales fell 3% to approximately 80,300 units. Sales of EVs spiked 29%, but Mercedes only sold 6,100.

Mercedes Global Sales Q1

Electric vehicles tend to carry more weight than their combustion-powered counterparts, which makes hardware choices far less forgiving. That’s where things appear to have gone sideways for the Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology, now facing a recall affecting more than 3,700 units in the US.

According to Mercedes, early versions of the electric G580 were fitted with wheel bolts that weren’t properly engineered for the model’s added mass and higher torque output. Instead, they were carried over from the combustion-powered version. Over time, that mismatch can cause the connection between the wheel and hub to loosen while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Read: Mercedes Thinks A $10K Discount Will Get $165K Electric SUVs Moving

A total of 3,734 examples are being recalled, all of which were manufactured between February 26, 2024, to August 19, 2025.

Mercedes says that it became aware of a potential issue during ongoing durability testing of the electric G-Class, , when a wheel bolt loosened despite meeting the required specifications. That prompted a deeper investigation into whether the SUV’s added weight, higher torque output, and demanding driving conditions could gradually compromise the wheel bolt connection.

What Can Go Wrong

The company ultimately determined that a wheel is most likely to work loose following “extreme driving maneuvers together with a number of repeated wheel changes over the vehicle’s lifetime.” This combination can increase wear on the contact surfaces of the wheel bolts.

Starting May 22, Mercedes will begin notifying owners of the recall. Affected drivers will be asked to visit a dealership, where technicians will replace the original bolts with a redesigned set better suited to the electric model’s demands. The updated design uses a two-piece collared lug bolt, intended to maintain consistent friction at the contact surface and reduce wear during tightening.

Vehicles built from August 26, 2025, onward already feature these revised bolts from the factory.

While the regular G-Class enjoyed its best year of sales ever in 2025, the G580 was described by a Mercedes-Benz executive in mid-2025 as a “complete flop.” This recently prompted Mercedes to offer massive discounts the US, in the hopes of driving up sales of the electric SUV that starts from $164,550, including destination.

Mercedes-AMG might be talking a big EV game, but behind closed doors, it’s the return of a fire-breathing V8 that’s really getting hearts racing.

One of the biggest, rarest stars of the coming model blitz is the new CLE 63, and AMG isn’t playing it safe. Just 30 examples will reportedly be built worldwide, each believed to be equipped with a seriously spicy version of Benz’s new flat-plane crank V8. The intel claims an output of 646 hp (655 PS), though since the Germans love their nice round kW figures, we suspect it could be 637 SAE hp, which would be 475 kW or 646 PS.

Related: AMG’s New Super Sedan Reveals Components Not Seen On Other Testers

Whatever the true number, enthusiasts will be thrilled to see it debut after the whole four-cylinder C63 experiment fell flat on its face. And this AMG-ized version of the V8, already doing business in the latest S-Class, won’t be restricted to just 30 CLE hot rods. It’s expected to spread across the lineup, potentially finding its way into future models, like the next C 63 sedan. Hopefully it’ll find its way into the new two-door GT Black Series that the same report also says is coming.

What Are AMG’s New EVs?

Of course, AMG isn’t ditching electrification. Far from it. Dealers were shown a trio of upcoming electric GT models, according to Auto News, including the sleek four-door GT coupe and two crossovers riding on a dedicated AMG platform. One has a stance similar to a Cayenne, while the other sits lower with a sportier, sloping roofline.

They sound quick, with strong range figures in the region of 400 miles (644 km) of range for the coupe and at least 300 (483 km) for the utilities, but not everyone’s convinced. Some dealers are already worried that three closely related electric AMGs could crowd showrooms and dilute the brand’s edge.

G-Class Blows Its Top

But all dealers need to do to reassure customers AMG is still bad-ass is show them the G-Class Cabriolet, which returns after a three-decade absence, and this time it’s finally heading to the US. The G 63 Cabriolet skips EV power, as it goes for the current G 63’s twin-turbo V8, and swaps in a fabric roof for maximum Insta flex.

G Cabrio production is expected to kick off in 2027, with American buyers firmly in focus. And that’s really the bigger story here. This entire product blitz is aimed squarely at North America, because with China flatlining, the US and Canada are the only hopes for growth for both Mercedes and AMG.

Given the cultural weight carried by the Mercedes G-Wagen, it’s a bit surprising the company has taken this long to pursue a smaller, more accessible version. Yet here it is at last. The so-called baby G is now deep into development, and these latest spy shots give us the clearest look yet at Mercedes’ downsized off-roader.

Read: Mercedes Baby G-Class Ditches Its EV-Only Plan

This prototype is sporting a distinctive new camouflage wrap that hides many of the more intricate details, but does nothing to shield the overall shape of the model from view. Look closely, and you’ll notice the wrap has hundreds of lower-case ‘g’ graphics, a playful nod to the model’s scaled-down identity.

Mercedes could easily have fallen into the trap of making the baby G-Class look a little too soft or restrained, perhaps little more than a lightly reworked GLB. Instead, the company appears to have taken the design of the full-size model, scaled it down, and applied a few subtler tweaks. Based on early impressions, the result looks very promising.

Classic But Modern Looks

The front has round headlights just like you’d expect, as well as a pronounced hood. The sides come complete with flared wheel arches, squared-off side windows, and prominent roof rails. Found at the rear will be small taillights positioned lower on the fascia, just like the normal G, in addition to a large spare wheel carrier.

Clearly, Mercedes has nailed the design. But what about what’s underneath? According to Mercedes CTO Markus Schäfer, the baby G is being engineered as a fully bespoke model rather than using an adapted version of an existing Mercedes platform. The company is developing new modules, suspension components, and wheel setups specifically for the vehicle, although it will not use a traditional ladder-frame chassis.

An Electrified Line-up

Originally, the project was intended to be purely electric. Now, however, Mercedes appears to be reconsidering that strategy. Recent reports suggest the company is evaluating the addition of a hybrid variant as well, a decision that makes practical sense given the current state of the EV market, particularly in North America.

SH Proshots

If Mercedes follows through and offers a gas option, it could use the same hybrid powertrain found in the new CLA sedan. That system pairs a 1.5-liter engine developed through the Geely and Renault Horse Powertrain joint venture with electric assistance, producing 208 hp and 280 lb-ft (380 Nm). The German carmaker could recalibrate the setup for the baby G, squeezing out more power to better suit the SUV’s character.

More: Shrunken Land Rover Defender Is Coming For The Baby G-Class

As for the all-electric version, it could come fitted with an 85 kWh NMC battery providing 450 miles (724 km) of range and driving a pair of electric motors. Carscoops understands it could have a driving range of up to 450 miles (724 km), which would be very impressive considering the full-size electric G580 is only good for 280 miles (450 km).

When it finally reaches showrooms, the baby G-Class will not have the small off-roader space to itself. Rivals are already lining up, including a rumored compact version of the Land Rover Defender that aims to bring the same rugged image in a smaller package.

SH Proshots