The 2018 Mercedes-AMG G 63 has been revealed ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut in March – it boasts 430kW and 850Nm of torque.
THE ALL-NEW MERCEDES-AMG G 63 has been revealed and will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Boasting 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 making 430kW and 850Nm of torque the G 63 will get from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds and yet go almost as far off-road (its 22-inch alloys notwithstanding) the regular G-Class.
The new G 63 is rear-biased in its standard drive distribution, sending 60% of drive to the rear and 40% to the front; the old G 63 ran a 50:50 drive split. It maintains the standard car’s three differential locks (these can all be locked and unlocked on the fly but in the order of: centre, rear, front) and runs a nine-speed automatic transmission (unlike many off-roaders, the G 63 will always start off in first gear regardless of the drive mode) – quirky pub fact, the chief engineer of the M-B nine-speed now works for Haval.
“The new AMG G 63 brings driving performance to the segment of unadulterated off-road vehicles in unexpected form. It was important for us to tie in with the original character on account of the cult status the G 63 enjoys with our customers and fans. The vehicle has nevertheless reached a completely new dimension in terms of technology with the 4.0‑litre V8 biturbo engine as well as in combination with the off-road characteristics, the agility and the vehicle dynamics achieved,” said Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes‑AMG GmbH. “This applies to the entire G‑Class model series. Mercedes-AMG is responsible for their suspension and chassis development as well as V8 competence.”
Unlike the regular G-Class, the G 63 has additional stabilisers at the front and rear to reduce body roll when cornering. It also offers AMG Ride Control which features adjustable damping, controlled via four driving modes: Comfort, Sport, and Sport+. And then there’s AMG Dynamic Select which is available on the G 63 for the first time ever. It offers five on-road modes, including Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. There are three off-road modes, Sand, Trail and Rock.
On the inside, there are typical Mercedes-AMG flourishes, with a Performance steering wheel the most noticeable addition. There’s electric adjustment for the driver’s seat with memory function and, if you plump for the (as yet unpriced) mulitcontour seats then you’ll get all sorts of things like massage function, adjustable lumbar support, heating and cooling and more. Like the new G-Class, the G 63 features plenty of goodies first featured on the S Class, making this new G Class and G 63 the most luxurious and tech-heavy in the model’s history.
European deliveries are expected to begin in July with an Australian arrival expected towards the end of this year.
