Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63 2020 Review

With the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63, AMG has added more than a little monster to Mercedes-Benz’s most family focused vehicles. The killer app is fitting a new (and electrified for the first time) bi-turbo V8 that will see these super-sized SUVs sprinting to 100km/h so furiously, they will leave Porsche 911s in their wake.

Sure, if you’re one of those people who thinks cars need to make some sort of sense, then there’s a question to be answered on just who needs this much power in an SUV. But needing something and wanting something are two very different things.

The first time you find yourself behind the wheel of the seven-seat Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, there will come a moment that will legitimately bend your mind. And that moment will arrive the first time you bury your right foot into the carpet.

That a vehicle, even an SUV, fitted with AMG’s 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 (and with Mercedes-Benz’ EQ Boost mild-hybrid system adding even more grunt) is fast isn’t overly surprising. But the sheer size of the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 makes the way it rockets to 100km/h, and beyond, properly head-spinning.

We’re talking more than 5.0m of SUV, tipping the scales at near 3000kg, and yet it pounces forwards like it’s been shot out of a cannon.

But its out-and-out speed isn’t the only party trick here. It might be frighteningly fast, but the AMG-tuned GLS genuinely remains a family focused vehicle, and as such, there are acres of space inside --even in the third row.

Mercedes-Benz pitches its flagship SUV GLS as being truly capable of carrying seven adults, and the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 does exactly that, too.

The second row slide forwards then up at the push of a button, ensuring the pathway to the third row doesn’t require Cirque du Soleil acrobatics to navigate. Once in, and with the second row back in position, I found ample room for my 175cm frame -- with clear air between my head and the roof, and without my knees pressing into the seat in front, either.

Arguments over who’s riding in the back might well be a thing of the past with the GLS.

The five-seat Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S might look comparatively tiny when parked alongside its bigger brother, but it also serves up enough space for the family, and their luggage, stretching 4.9m in length and 2.1m in width, and serving up around 2000 litres of luggage space (with the second row folded flat).

Speed doesn’t come with much sacrifice here, with both the GLE 63 S and GLS 63 every bit as capable of shifting the family as their regular Benz brothers.

There’s a new engine for the big Mercedes-AMG SUV siblings this time around, with AMG’s cracking bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8 sending 450kW and 850Nm towards the tyres via a nine-speed automatic. Mercedes’ 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system is standard fit, too, defaulting to a 50:50 power split between the front and rear axle, but that can be hijacked, with 100 per cent of the power able to be sent entirely to the rear tyres, too.

More power? The engine fitted to the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S and GLS 63 is the first AMG V8 to get Benz’s EQ Boost 48-volt mild hybrid setup, with a tiny battery and motor adding 16kW and 250Nm.

Now, it must be pointed out here that those numbers can’t just be added to the totals. Instead, the electricity is intended to essentially run auxiliary systems, but it will also use its power to plug any soft spots when accelerating, ensuring 0-100km/h sprint is even more brisk.

Try 4.1sec in the seven-seater, and a staggering 3.8sec in the GLE 63 S.

Other AMG kit includes active engine mounts (for the first time in an SUV), a booming performance exhaust, air suspension and adaptive dampers, Active Ride Control with Active Road Stabilisation and an adjustable ride height that will increase ground clearance by 50mm in off-road modes, and drop it by 10mm in Sport or Sport+.

It’s difficult to make something massive look good, but weirdly, I think the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is actually the more eye-catching of this super-SUV duo.

Yes, there’s a lot of metal to play with, and it can look a little slab-sided from the wrong angle, but the AMG-designed grille, 21-inch wheels, quad exhaust tips -- and sheer size -- lends it a dominant road presence that’s hard to ignore.

Inside, expect Nappa leather seats, an impressive Widescreen Cockpit (essentially two 12.3-inch screens butted up against each other, one in the driver’s binnacle, the other in the centre of the dash), as well as AMG peddles, steering wheel, and ample badging throughout.

Otherwise, it’s the Mercedes-Benz GLS interior and equipment list, of which there’s plenty.

The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S, on the other hand, doesn’t wear its new-found sportiness quite so well -- at least from certain angles.

The front and front three-quarter views work just fine, where the new AMG grille, flared guards and 21-inch alloys look plenty tough. But from the rear, and there’s really no easy way to say this, it looks a little like a pear. Skinny at the top, wide at the bottom, and the fact that it’s an SUV and not a sports car is exceedingly obvious.

Inside, you’ll find AMG Nappa leather seats, a grippy micro-fibre wheel and that same massive Widescreen Cockpit.

We’ve talked power and torque figures already, and they are big numbers, but if you’ve ever climbed aboard an A380, or a bullet train, you’ll know that making something massive travel fast in a straight line is no new achievement.

The real magic is in making something this big corner with some sort of athleticism.

And it’s here that the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S especially shines. AMG’s engineers make a big deal out of their efforts in reducing both of the big SUVs’ body roll, with two electrically operated stabilising bars (one essentially at each axle) that actively counter body roll as you turn into corners.

It might well sound like some kind of dark magic, but it’s also super effective, with the GLE 63 S barreling up and down twisting roads without ever wobbling around like a tall ship in rough seas.

While it might not f eel quite as sharp as a lower-slung and lighter AMG sedan or coupe, it’s also doesn’t feel like an SUV, and you could genuinely spend a day attacking mountain roads without ever feeling like you’ve brought the wrong vehicle.

But if the GLE 63 S is the sharper vehicle, the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is an absolute sledgehammer, demolishing corners rather than dancing through them.

The bigger of the AMG SUV siblings feels exactly that. But linking together a set of sweeping bends, and riding that huge wave of power, it also feels tank-levels of unstoppable.

Even AMG concedes the GLS is less a precision tool and more a blunt instrument, better suited to cross-country jaunts than it is to tighter corners, but it’s undeniable impressive in the way it (mostly) hides its weight.

Downsides? I’m not in love with the steering in either vehicle, with the heaviest Sport and Sport+ settings adding tons of weight, but nothing in the way of feel.

Better, then, to leave the steering in its lightest settings while dialling up the ‘angry’ in the suspension, gearing and acceleration.

The wrong road surface can send plenty of noise into the cabin, too, with the interior lacking the super-quiet ambience of an S-Class.

And your fuel bill will be mighty; The GLS 63 claims 11.9L/100km on the combined cycle, while the GLE 63 S will drink 11.5L/100km But you’ll need feet made of feathers to achieve those numbers.

While Australian pricing is yet to be confirmed, expect the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 to land somewhere near $250K, which marks an increase on the existing car’s $221K.

The Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S meantime should land at around $220K, again, a jump on the $203K sticker on the car it replaces.

How much do the 2020 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 and GLE63 S cost?
Price: $220,000/250,000 (GLS/GLE estimated)
Available: Q3-Q4
Engine: 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8
Output: 450kW/850Nm (plus 16kW and 250Nm)
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 11.5/11.9L/100km
CO2: TBA
Safety rating: TBA