50 7August2019 http://www.autoexpress.co.uk
Performance
0-60mph/top speed
3.9seconds/137mphFINALREPORTWe needed constantreminding thatthe car wasthe star
Mercedes-AMG G63
NEVER,inmylengthycareerasan
automotivejournalist,haveIruna
carwithsuchwide-rangingtalentsasthe
Mercedes-AMGG63.
It’sbeenaweddingcar,it’stakena
washingmachinetothetip,it’sdoneserious
off-roading,it’stowed,it’sbeentransportto
ateenager’sprom,it’sbeenthestarofacar
show,it’salong-distancecruiser,it’saluxury
limousineandit’sasupercarthatourtesters
managedtogetfromzeroto60mphinjust
3.9seconds.AndIloveittobits!
It’salsoanA-listsuperstar,photographed
onadailybasis.Itmustbelikegoingoutwith
asupermodel–therealwaysseemstobea
camerapointinginmydirection,butit’snot
metheywantpicturesof;it’stheG63.
Icollectedmycarfromthedealership
atMercedes-BenzWorldinBrooklands,
Surrey,whereweimmediatelyputits
off-roadcredentialstothetest.It’sfairtosay
thatthistestingcoursewaswellwithinthe
G-Class’slimits,butitwastheonechance
wehadtomakeuseofthelow-rangegear
ratiosandthreelockingdifferentials.
Thecarreallyexcelledontarmac,too,
provingcomfortableandrefinedonboth
mydaily44-milecommuteandtheregular
jauntsfromBuckinghamshiretoLiverpool
withmysontowatchfootball.
ApartfromthebigMerc’sbreadthof
abilities,theotherthingthatwillsticklong
inmymemorywillbethequalityofthe
engineeringinthecar,especiallyretaining
thespiritofthe40-year-oldoriginal.
Thelookshavebeensubtlyupdated,
withfancyLEDfrontlightsmimickingthe
original’s,alongwiththeindicatorsthatsit
ontopofthewingsandhelpmanoeuvring
thisbigmachinethroughtightstreets.
Eventhedoorshavebeencarefully
engineeredtoevokememoriesoftheiconic
originalG-Wagen.Thehingessitproudon
theoutsideofthecar,whileyoureallyhave
toputsomeeffortintoslammingthemshut
–somuchsothatmostnewcomersdon’t
manageitfirsttimeround.
Thenthere’sthesoundofthecarlocking
andunlocking,againengineeredcarefully
tomakeaspecificnoise.Tomeitsounds
likeagunshot,butit’safabulousreminder
ofhowrobustthewholecaris.
Eventherideisthesame.Mostlyit’s
comfortableenough,butwithacertain“The ‘loud’ button turned the exhaust upanotch –and it wasalreadypretty fruity”Running costs
18.6mpg (ontest)
£129 fill/£465 or 37%taxPracticality
Boot(seats up/down)
667/1,246 litresbouncinessthat’snotuncomfortable,yet
remindsyouoftheoriginalG-Wagen.
Thisisalsoacarthat’sbeenbroughtbang
up-to-datewiththelatesttechnology.The
twin12.3-inchscreensblendintooneacross
thedash,withtheleft-handsidetakingcare
ofinfotainmentandtheright-handside
passingoninformationtothedriver.
Itcanallbepersonalised,butmostlyI
usedAppleCarPlay,whichisstandardand
canbecontrolledbythescrollwheelonthe
centreconsole,thetouch-sensitivepadjust
behindit,orevenatinytouch-sensitive
buttonontheleftofthesteeringwheel;and
whicheverIused,itwasallveryintuitive.
ThefactthatIusedCarPlayallthetime
lefttheG’sowninfotainmentsystempretty
redundant,butthesamecan’tbesaidofthe
15-speakerBurmestersoundsystem–one
ofthebestfromthatbrandI’veexperienced.
Butitwasn’tmyfavouritenoisefromthe
G63,ohno.SittingamongthemanySteveFowler
[email protected]
@stevefowler
buttonstoadjustthecar’ssuspensionand
transmission(fortherecord,mypickwas
Sport,whichsitsbetweenComfortand
Sport+),wassomethingthatIdescribed
asthe‘loud’button.Itturnedtheexhaust
noteupanotch–anditwasalreadypretty
fruity.ThewonderfulV8soundtrack
dominatedthedrivingexperience.
Ontheinside,thingsarespaciousand
comfortable,withimpressivebuildquality
–althoughmycardidhaveoneslightfault
withthewindowsealcausingawhistle,
whichwasfixedunderwarranty.
Ofcourse,theG63isn’tacheapcarto
buyorrun–gettingmpginthelow20swas
worthyofcelebration(andhelpedbythe
enginerunningonfourcylindersrather
thantheusualeightwhenitcould).
Soifyouareluckyenoughtobeable
toconsideraG63,shouldyou?Well,ifthe
imagesuitsyou–anditwon’teveryone–
thenI’dsayaveryquickyes.