Mercedes-Benz Announces 2019 G63 AMG

It's only been a few weeks since Mercedes-Benz announced the launch of the 2019 G-Class, and AMG's already taken one of these over to its facility for some 'tweaks'. Now the company claims it is ready with the 2019 G63 AMG.

Mercedes-Benz finally got around to replacing the aging G-Class with, erm, another G-Class. The Gelandewagen is now in its second generation and as such features substantial enhancements and modifications to keep it relevant in the modern era. For starters, the body is new, and so are the interiors.

One sweeping glance at the pictures of the G-Wagon and you might disagree, for the 2019 G-Class looks exactly like the outgoing model. The difference lies in the body panels. The 2019 G-Wagon favors the use of aluminium for its body panels over the older generations' choice of steel. This makes it much lighter and aids in posting better performance numbers in AMG guise.

The 2019 G63 AMG ditches the 5.5-liter V8 synonymous with the car, instead employing the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 found on most current AMG models. The hand-assembled engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission and delivers 585 hp and a generous 850 Nm twist, which is an increase of 20 hp and a healthy 90 Nm over the previous generation. The boffins at Affalterbach sure know how to soup up an incoming Merc, and the results speak for themselves with the G63 posting some supercar-slaying numbers when it comes to performance. The big SUV does 100 kph in 4.5 seconds which is almost a second faster than the earlier version. Its top speed is rated at 220 kph.

Since Gelandewagens have been famous for their off-roading prowess, the 2019 G63 has also been treated to specialised equipment helping it to get out of sticky situations. The all-wheel-drive is rear-biased with a 40:60 front-to-rear torque split, which is, of course, customisable. There are a total of three differential locks that work seamlessly to prevent the heavy car from bogging down. The suspension features adjustable damping, and there is also a strut-tower brace that stiffens up the chassis. The G63 rides on massive 22-inch wheels with low-profile road tyres, but a set of knobbies should see it clambering on top of vertical rock faces like it was just a small pile of stones.

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG (Is it even correct calling it a 63?) gets three riding modes: Rock, Sand, and Trail. That's not to say it won't be fast around a stretch of twisty tarmac, for where else will you unleash the 585 horses? The 2019 G-Wagon comes with double wishbone front suspension with coil springs all around, which gives it a more car-like drive quality than its predecessor which handles like a school bus. Although the G63 AMG won't give supercars sleepless nights around a track, it will sure keep up with the furious pace.

Since the car in question is an AMG, it naturally gets an extensive customisation catalog that includes paint, upholstery, wheels, exhausts, and so on. However, even a factory-spec G63 is distinctively different from a stock G-Wagon with its flared wheel arches, wider wheel profile, red brake calipers, redesigned front and rear bumpers, and blacked-out glass panels.

Inside, Mercedes-Benz has given the G-Class all-new interiors speaking of its new design ethos, and the G63 carries forward the same language with dual 12.3-inch displays, an AMG, leather upholstery all-around, and a leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel. The 2019 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG will go on sale in the UAE from May onwards. Pricing details aren't out yet but expect to shell out close to AED 700,000 for the super-SUV.