Mercedes-AMG GLS 63: Living it large and loving it

You know when you want to go about your life without drawing any unnecessary attention to yourself? Being all sensible and living frugally. Kinda like an average Joe. Well then, the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is definitely not for you.

I mean just look at it. Sure, it has the 23-inch AMG monoblock wheels fitted, so if the aggressive styling and sheer size of this “S-Class” of SUVs doesn’t do it, then these 23-inch options that will set you back R82 100, sure will destroy any shred of subtlety you thought might have been on offer.

Rear view

As to be expected, if its space you want, then its space you will get with the GLS 63 . This new model has a significantly longer wheelbase than its predecessor, and this means more space in general, and perhaps more importantly in a seven-seater, extra legroom in the rear.

This is truly an SUV that you could leave your mother-in-law in the back row of seats and never find her again, say when you take her out for Mother’s Day. I didn’t do this to my mother-in-law, she kept phoning my wife to come and rescue her. But I did use this flagship SUV to dump all my mountain bike gear in, and if I wanted to, I think I could have emptied my entire garage in the GLS 63.

View from the boot

Although the GLS 63 comes standard with AMG Ride Control + Air Suspension, and ADS+ (Adaptive Damping System), did I go bundu bashing with it? Not a chance. I played on some dirt while heading out to a mountain bike ride meeting point.

Did I go do any track work with this AMG? No, of course not, it weighs in at 2 630 kg, which is like the weight of two hatch backs, and although it probably could hustle around a track, I don’t think it would like it much.

The 10.25-inch instrument cluster

However, just in case you are technologically challenged, or simply not in the mood to play off-road or racetrack master, the GLS 63 pretty much does it all for you. Ride height is lowered by 10 mm in the Sport and Sport+ modes, while in the Comfort, the SUV only lowers when you are above 120 km/h, and is raised back to normal level below 70 km/h.

AMG Dynamics further allows you the choice of six driving modes by simply selecting one of the preconfigured options in Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Trail and Sand, or configuring the Individual one should you feel all smart and stuff. My advice, let this SUV do the hard work for you when it comes to suspension and powertrain set-up.

GLS 63 badge

Talking of power, its 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 delivers 450 kW of power and 850 Nm of torque to all four wheels through a nine-speed MCT transmission. And for the first time, this engine is equipped with an integrated mild-hybrid EQ Boost starter/alternator that briefly offers a further 16 kW and 250 Nm of urge when required for fast starts and overtaking.

Not that I think it will matter when you purchase a SUV that starts at R3 154 000, but driven in a somewhat civilised fashion, I managed to average what I thought was a pretty decent 15.4-litres per 100km. But this is a large and fast machine, and when driven this way, the benchmark 0 to 100 km/h time is done in a mere 4.31 seconds, along with a dragstrip type quarter mile time of 12.54 seconds and a 1 km trap speed of 232 km/h.

Assisted by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, the V8 produces 450kW/850Nm

Should you shell out a further R40 400 for the AMG Drivers Package, the electronic speed limiter is moved from 250 km/h to 280 km/h. I am not sure how fast you want to go to the pancake place with your mother-in-law, but however fast it is, the GLS 63 will deliver.

To see the full results from our high-performance test, click here.

Perhaps the civilised wrap up of this review is better done by Johannes Fritz, Co-CEO for Mercedes-Benz South Africa and Executive Director for Mercedes-Benz Cars when he says, “The new GLS 63 is a vehicle for those who are not willing to accept compromises when it comes to versatility, effortless superiority and spaciousness. It’s the ideal companion for long distances, on a par with the S-Class, with rough-terrain attributes and space for up to seven people.”