New MercedesAMG G 63 Facelift : Say hello to the madcap of the automotive world: the Mercedes-AMG G 63. It could otherwise be described as a boxy 4×4 ladder-frame chassis SUV with not one, not two but three differential locks and one that also rolls on performance tyres to go with a fire-breathing engine. It’s a blending of very different worlds that somehow meshed.
Performance and powertrain for the Mercedes AMG G 63
It receives a handful of updates for 2024 and beyond that make it comfier, sportier and, ahem, more politically correct, too. The final piece of the puzzle comes from a new 48V mild-hybrid system. It adds just 22hp, and even if the engine is giving its all, it’s just a supporting act to the 585hp, 850Nm, 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol motor. The engine never lets up in its build of power, and big power makes big skids. It has a 220kph top speed, and in our testing we achieved a 4.6-second 0-100kph time. Goes nuts for something the size of a one-bedroom flat and as heavy and taiwanese and multitasking as a bank vault. Helping the G 63 achieve such a figure is the new launch control, one of the several firsts for the model. The squat and launch of the G 63 is just a sight to behold.
And what’s so intrinsic to the G 63 experience is how it sounds. Those quad exhausts, two each side, will have you chuckling every time you stomp the accelerator pedal. There’s this ever-present woofle that turns into a growl when you get on it a little harder, and then it erupts when you uncork it, belting out a roar that would make a lion proud. As for changing gears, the 9-speed transmission wastes no time upshifting and downshifting on your command. Indeed, you’ll often downshift simply for the sound effect.
Ride and handling of Mercedes AMG G 63
The G 63 hasn’t just learned how to sprint; it seems to have had some yoga lessons in agility, as well. It drives well for the G-Class, and the credit goes to AMG’s new Active Ride Control Suspension. The system eliminates mechanical anti-roll bars in favor of a grid of hydraulic actuators which link each of the car’s four corners, and calibrate the load settings according to the driver input. Its body control is a sea change, and it no longer feels as top-heavy as older Gs. There’s good weight at the steering too, and good enough connect. That said, the G 63 isn’t a Urus, a Cayenne or an RS Q8 when it comes to the bends and won’t set any records, but so what?