The Land Rover Defender delivered a record 115,404 units in 2025. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class sold 49,700 units globally that same year, up 23 percent over 2024. Genesis rolled the X Gran Equator concept onto the New York Auto Show floor with the G-Wagen squarely in its sights. Audi has been floating a rugged off-roader of its own for years. Every luxury brand with an SUV lineup wants a piece of the boxy, go-anywhere segment that Mercedes and Land Rover have owned for decades.
BMW wanted in too. Sources familiar with the program say the Bavarian brand spent close to three years developing a genuine rival to the G-Class, something far more serious than the XM's SUV-shaped muscle car. Now that project appears to be stalling out before it ever reaches a showroom.
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