-Christopher Little

Back in April, Mercedes debuted the new GL Series at the New York International Auto Show.  We were initially caught off guard by a GL550 wearing what appeared to be an AMG-inspired body kit.  Mercedes wouldn’t confirm or deny a possible GL63 AMG, but we listed the mere possibility as one of the 5 Best of the NYIAS.  The next puzzle piece fell into place when Mercedes confirmed the G63AMG for production.  For us, it confirmed that Mercedes was still willing to put an AMG engine in their big SUVs.  Now, its finally official. The GL63 AMG, a first for the GL Series, will drive among us.

The exterior closely resembles the model we spotted at the NYIAS.  It appeared uniquely menacing in person, even before we knew what would come of it.  Of course, now it gets all of the AMG trappings.  Hiding behind the familiar AMG wheels are the same 15″ front and 13″ rear rotors found in the G63 AMG.  Around back, the GL63 gets the standard quad AMG exhaust tips.  The same twin-turbo 5.5 liter V8 found in the ML63 and G63 was dropped in and bolted up to AMG’s SPEEDSHIFT 7-speed automatic.  Power output remains at 550hp and 560 lb-ft torque.  The SUV also sports AMG Ride Control and Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel drive.  This combination launches the GL63 AMG from 0-60mph in just 4.9 seconds, on par with its ML63 and G63 brothers.

Inside, the SUV provides AMG’s balance of performance and luxury for all seven passengers.  Contrasting stitching adorns the AMG sport seats, keeping everyone in place during AMG-inspired driving.  True to Mercedes form, these seats retain their massage functionality.  The driver also gets a flat-bottomed AMG steering wheel with aluminum paddles to control the beast.

While pricing isn’t mentioned, we expect it to fall somewhere north of $100,000, securely between its ML63 and G63 counterparts.  Not bad for the one-and-only 7 passenger super-SUV available.