Mercedes AMG G63 - Collection

What you see with the new AMG G63 represents the most significant upgrade The G-Class has undergone, nothing short of a complete overhaul and the most comprehensive of its forty year history. The brief was complicated, to retain the inherent attractions of the previous model, so the noise, the off-road capability, and rugged looks but improve the on-road performance, especially the car's handling, whilst upgrading the interior to allow five adults to travel at least moderate distances without succumbing to cramp in arms and legs after an hour.

Starting with the handling, the front suspension turrets, the torsional rigidity of the ladder frame and body shell has been increased by more than 50%. Previously a low-geared recirculating ball was so indirect that having turned the nose of the car in to a corner, you’d need to immediately start unwinding the steering to avoid running wide on the exit. Mercedes have now turned to an electromechanical rack-and-pinion system.

Mercedes have also dropped a rugged solid front axle in favour of double wishbones mounted directly to the ladder frame chassis but in order to maintain the G-Class’s class leading ground clearance, the engineers have had to elevate the lower wishbone’s attachment point to the highest position possible. This they achieved and ground clearance between the axles has been increased by 6mm, to 241mm.

In addition to the new front axle and vastly improved new steering, Mercedes have introduced a new rigid rear axle that’s placed by four trailing arms retaining a Panhard rod to help control body roll. There is some of course, this car is over 2500kgs, and it can be noticeable if you’re really leaning on the Goodyear Eagles as fitted to the G63, but this is now manageable and the cornering speeds have been raised significantly.

However with such a high centre of gravity, this car is well over six feet off the ground and noticeably higher than a Range Rover, it’s not long before you notice a level of understeer, but in the new G-Class you can with a degree of accuracy predict that's about to happen. So be patient on corner entry, and smooth, and the G63 will show a satisfyingly rear-led balance.

So to the engine, in this case the G63 uses Mercedes's a 4.0litre twin-turbo V8, modified for duties for this two-and-a-half-tonne off-roader. In this case it develops 577bhp at 6000rpm and 627lb ft at 2500-3500rpm, making it more powerful than the AMG GT R supercar.

Top speed is claimed to be 137mph, though I did not attempt to check this, with a 0-62mph of 4.5sec. This I did check and the acceleration levels on offer are remarkable for any car let alone such a large one and at well beyond legal speed limits. Mercedes use a 9G-Tronic torque-converter transmission which does the job well enough whilst making a great noise helped to a degree by the side exhaust system.

Off-road the car is possibly in a class of one especially with ‘G-Mode’. This refers to the driving program initiated when one of the car’s three 100% differential locks or off-road reduction gear is engaged. In the interests of increased precision on difficult terrain, the damping, steering, gearbox and throttle-response characteristics alter to give the G-Class the best chance of scaling any obstacles in it's path. No hill-descent control here because Mercedes wants to retain an old-world feel and because it is simply not needed.

During testing, the G-Class development team found the Range Rover in the most extreme conditions to be limited by its electronics, too keen to intervene, so this is partly why the G-Class uses three locking differentials.

It is by no means the complete car but AMG have endowed the G63 with great performance and an everyday use-ability the old version could only dream of but this is the crux I think. The new G63 is genuinely fun to drive and make you smile every journey.............what greater accolade can you bestow any car with. Job done Mercedes, but we want a hybrid version soon please!.

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Specification 'Autocar'.