The 2025 Mercedes-AMG G 63 has 577 horsepower, 627 lb-ft of torque and can fly, for brief moments.Matt Bubbers/The Globe and Mail
Mercedes-AMG has built a pig that can fly with the new G 63 SUV, which would be deeply impressive were it not for the fact it already seems outmoded.
The freakishly fast and predictably fuel-hungry new 2025 Mercedes-AMG G 63 takes to the air, briefly, on a muddy off-road track in France. Its engineers encouraged me to make it fly, presumably in an effort to show how capable this truck is despite the fact that the vast majority of G 63s will probably never leave pavement.
Nevertheless, I did as instructed. Accelerating up to around 80 kilometres an hour toward a blind crest, the truck lifts off and sails through the air for a brief and surreal moment before coming back to Earth. It touches down on a muddy slope with an anticlimactic muffled thud. Nothing is broken. Nothing falls off. The landing is surprisingly gentle for a 2,640-kilogram truck that’s about as aerodynamic as a Rubik’s Cube.
With all four wheels back on solid ground, the G 63 continues to splash and wallow on the muddy track, cavorting at high speed. What is most striking, apart from the air time, is how little the AMG seems to be affected by this rut-ridden terrain. An optional new hydraulically linked active suspension system (called AMG Active Ride Control) does away with traditional suspension anti-roll bars and replaces them with hydraulic lines with computer-controlled valves connecting all four wheels. With a little dial on the steering wheel, the driver can control the amount the car rolls sideways through corners. While your brain is telling you a tall SUV like this should lean through turns like a sailboat heeling over in high wind, the hydraulic system keeps everything level. The same goes for acceleration and braking. It feels slightly unnatural – the vague steering doesn’t help – and you won’t mistake it for a sports car, but this truck can make remarkably rapid progress, on road or off.
The problem, however, is that impressive as it is, such technological prowess pales in comparison to what’s on offer in the G 63′s new all-electric cousin, the Mercedes-Benz G 580.
While the battery-powered G 580 can pirouette and do perfect computer-controlled drifts, thanks to its electric powertrain, the gas-burning AMG cannot. The G 580 has four motors paired with four gearboxes, while the AMG only has two: a twin-turbo V8 paired with an electric starter-generator motor. And, of course, then there are the carbon emissions. The electric G-Class emits no tailpipe pollution, while the G 63 – despite a new mild hybrid system – is surely among the least ecofriendly new vehicles money can buy. (Canadian data are not available yet, but fuel economy is rated at about 15 litres per 100 kilometres on the European WLTP test.)
Sure, the G 63 scoots to 100 kilometres an hour from a standstill in 4.4 seconds, but that’s a paltry 0.3 seconds faster than the EV (and slower than a top-spec Rivian R1S). In the real world – overtaking on the highway or in stop-start traffic – the electric G-Wagon feels quicker because its electric motors respond faster and there’s no need to downshift before accelerating as there is on the internal-combustion car.
Both the G 63 and electric G 580 will hit Canadian showrooms this winter in limited numbers, according to a company spokesperson.
Prices have yet to be announced for either model, but the outgoing G 63 starts at $247,000 and the new one is unlikely to be any less expensive. In this rarefied price bracket, the EV’s driving range or the need for garage space to plug-in overnight is not going to be a deal-breaker; this won’t be an owner’s only vehicle, so the choice of whether to go gas or electric is a no-brainer.
While the Mercedes-AMG G 63 has long been a favourite SUV of rich and famous extroverts, its position has finally been usurped – not by any rival but by its battery-powered cousin, the all-electric G 580, which is better in nearly every way.
Tech specs
2025 Mercedes-AMG G 63
- Base price / as tested: To be announced ($250,000 estimate)
- Engine: Four-litre twin-turbo V8, 48-volt hybrid
- Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 577 / 627
- Drive: All-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 15.7 to 14.7 (European WLTP combined)
- Curb weight: 2,640 kilograms
- Alternatives: All-electric Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology, Range Rover SV, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus or an Ineos Grenadier with enough cash left over to buy a proper AMG sports car
The G 63 sprints to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.4 seconds, but that’s a paltry 0.3 seconds faster than the EV version.The Globe and Mail
Looks
Mercedes had the good sense to leave the design largely unchanged. As with all great designs, this one is instantly recognizable.
Interior
Compared with the previous model, it’s (slightly) quieter and more refined on the road. There seems to be less wind and road noise, which makes driving on the highway more relaxed.
The widescreen display looks like it was plotted on the dashboard as an afterthought.Mercedes-Benz AG, Communications & Marketing, photo by Deniz Calagan on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG/Courtesy of manufacturer
Performance
The electric boost from a new 48-volt integrated starter-generator (ISG) hybrid system can add 20 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque in short bursts. Apart from the G 63′s marvellous new hydraulically linked suspension system, which is an optional extra, the performance of the six-cylinder G 550 is just as good for day-to-day driving.
Technology
The widescreen MBUX infotainment display plopped onto the dashboard looks like an afterthought. Going from a vintage G-Wagon to the new model, I found myself wishing the central MBUX screen would fold out of the way to preserve more of the classic truck’s minimalist vibe.
Opening the trunk is like opening a bank vault and there's a mechanical heft and a sharp ‘clack’ sound when closing it and all the doors.Mercedes-Benz AG, Communications & Marketing, photo by Deniz Calagan on behalf of Mercedes-Benz AG/Courtesy of manufacturer
Cargo
Pressing the big round button that opens the G-Wagon’s side-swinging trunk is one of life’s little pleasures. It’s like opening a bank vault. There’s a chonky mechanical heft and a sharp “clack” sound to opening and closing all the doors that’s uniquely satisfying.
The verdict
The legendary G 63 has finally been eclipsed by … another G-Wagon. As impressive as the G 63 and its clever suspension are, the all-electric G 580 is now the G-Wagon to get.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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