There was a time when the V8 rumble was the whole personality of an AMG. Now Mercedes has built an SUV that looks like its awkward sedan sibling with 1,153 horsepower, a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.6 seconds and not a single cylinder in sight. The AMG GT 63 SUV runs three axial-flux motors, two at the rear and one up front, and makes 1,475 lb-ft of torque. In real terms, that is hypercar muscle in a SUV body built for practicality, offering 21.4 cubic feet of cargo space in the boot. The SUV reaches US dealerships in summer 2027 in GT 53, GT 55 and GT 63 forms. Pricing is yet to be announced, but a 1,153 hp AMG will not be cheap.
For the spec-sheet warriors out there, it pays to read the fine print though. The quoted 0-60 mph time of 2.6 seconds is the honest figure, since the 2.4 seconds Mercedes also quotes uses a one-foot rollout, a convention that trims the first bit of the run. Top speed is capped at 168 mph, which is sensible for a machine that weighs roughly 2.7 tonnes. Further, peak and continuous power are different things, and the SUV makes that plain. The GT 63 can hold 711 hp continuously, so the full 1,153 hp is a burst you summon rather than the continuous state. Expect astonishing launches and a more measured temperament on a long, hot drive. Base models make do with 362 hp, and up to 536 hp in bursts, with a 4.1 second sprint time to boot.
Charging is where AMG engineers really flexed, though. A 128 kWh battery on an 800 volt system accepts up to 710 kW, which Mercedes says takes it from 10 to 80 per cent in about 12 minutes and adds roughly 280 miles of WLTP range in just 10 minutes. Brilliant on paper. Out in the world, very few public chargers can deliver that kind of power. Mercedes claims up to 435 miles of WLTP range, a famously optimistic test cycle, so budget for somewhat less on real roads.
Then comes the sound, or rather the lack of one. An electric motor hums politely, and that will not do for a badge that built its reputation on thunder. So Mercedes has fitted the GT SUV with a synthetic V8 soundtrack. On the four-door sibling, the audio comes from recordings of a real AMG GT R engine, paired with simulated gear shifts and haptic feedback through the seats. It is, in essence, a very expensive tribute act. Fans of AMG’s thunderous V8s will wince. Everyone else will probably grin at the first full-throttle launch, because the brain hears V8 and forgives a great deal.
