The Mercedes-AMG GLS63 is not small. It’s 5,2m in length. 2,1 metres wide. It weighs 2,7 tonnes and has enough interior space to carry seven adults or 2,400 litres of some form of luggage. You could possibly fit a Smart ForTwo in there. It is one of the largest cars we’ve driven this year, and yet, it’s one of the most undaunting, palatable, and well-received cars from onlookers, road users, and passengers alike.
Even finished in this Obsidian Black metallic paint with black 23-inch AMG wheels, the GLS doesn’t scream music video prop at all. The GLS somehow manages to hide its significant size within a refined design and really accepting form. It’s clearly a luxury product, and it’s clearly powerfully strung with AMG badging and trim around the exterior, finished up at the rear with a large quad of blackened tailpipes. As a school-run daily drive or as an ultra-luxury chauffeur-mobile, the GLS seems at home doing both.
This car has all of the traits of that old-school AMG V8 reputation, yet within one of the most refined and luxurious cabins within the segment. The GLS63 is AMG’s answer to BMW’s X7 M60i. There isn’t a full-blown X7M on offer from BMW, so the 390kW, X7 M60i is the closest option. The 7-seater luxury SUV is the pinnacle of AMG luxury, the SUV version of the S-Class. As such, it’s appointed with nearly all manner of luxury features. You name it; it’s probably already offered with the GLS. Some notable features include a panoramic roof that captures the car's sheer size. If you’re a fan of a skylight in your home, this lets in more light than you may imagine, really illustrating just how large the cabin is. Rear passengers are well taken care of, with up to four air vents per seat.
Even the 3rd-row passengers won’t feel let down in terms of this. An ionised and perfumed cabin air is also a considered addition for the in-car experience. The rear seats lack ventilation, heating, and massage, which detracts from the overall product for the market that's considering this car. As a car that will indeed be owned or used by someone who spends some time in the rear, this seems a missed opportunity. Nevertheless, the soft luxury pillows in the second row and the Samsung tablet in the central armrest do allow for control of a lot of the media and comfort functions from the rear, a good quality piece of equipment that can be paired and used if you option the MBUX rear seat entertainment screens. As far as legroom and comfort go, the third row really isn’t too bad for average-sized adults, and then, as mentioned, you won’t find more space in an SUV offering than the 2,400 litres here. At the touch of a few buttons, all rear seats fold down to reveal an almost-flat loading area. In our hands it swallowed a new office desk and set of drawers—as well as a bootload of catering and décor for a year-end function that we hosted. Once all of that was off-loaded, the GLS came back into its normal use as a chauffeur vehicle for the guests of the same year-end party, three-piece suits and cocktail dresses comfortably in all of the pews.
The GLS is fitted with the popular AMG-fettled, 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 with mild-hybrid assistance, which means aurally appealing cold starts are still served, followed by a beefy, throaty soundtrack when the selected exhaust mode has been called up.
As a passenger or as a driver, the GLS63 is a consummate cruiser with some ‘bruiser’ status thrown in when required. 450kW is available directly from the twin-turbo V8, but an additional 16kW is summoned from the electric motor that combines as a starter-generator to make the GLS a little more efficient and a little less laggy. The 9G-Tronic transmission paired to this engine is excellent in all modes, and should you really require it, the GLS is really rapid once the turbos have spooled up. Within hard cornering, you’ll feel the active AMG Ride Control+ working to keep the large body in check. This, coupled with the traction control and 4MATIC+ systems, is calibrated to ensure that nothing is a huge surprise, with these systems able to quell excessive wheelspin or body roll even before you realise it should. As a large car, this electronic assistance makes the GLS more of a fast cruiser than the last word in agility. Top speed is 280km/h, and it will do the 0-100km/h run in 4.2 seconds.
Comfort mode is best used for the daily drive, and should you enjoy the consistent exhaust sound, you can simply engage the exhaust button via the MBUX system or the steering-mounted rotary controls. The GLS has the refinement of a luxury car and really rides with surefooted comfort and excellent damping, even with those massive 23-inch wheels.
The Mercedes-AMG GLS63 4MATIC+ ticks most boxes in this ultra-niche segment, but it also competes with other offerings that do the same. At this price, the GLS63 is now over R1m more than what it was when launched in 2021. At over R4 million, it no longer stands within the price of the BMW X7 M60i xDrive, and instead, this price brings it into the territory of the Range Rover big body. While both cars offer similar value, the Range Rover offers more bespoke luxury options.
That said, in addition to its own Benz luxury appointments, it also offers an engine and driving experience that is unique enough and exciting enough to argue the point.
The GLS63 is a truly magnificent car, but its price, like that of a few other Mercedes-AMG products, will make it much more difficult to sell to customers who are brand-agnostic and simply want something like this. The BMW X7 makes a much stronger case, simply on price alone, and the Range Rover retains a reputation for luxury in this segment that the GLS is still trying to attain.
And, should you be wondering whether those mono-block wheels are still on offer in this updated version of the GLS63, the answer is yes... a R69,900 option.
Enter your email address to receive regular Top Gear SA newsletters
Enter your email address to receive regular Top Gear SA newsletters
.jpg)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.JPG)
