Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 2016 Review

Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 4MATIC
Road Test

The flagship of the Mercedes-Benz SUV family is the seven-seat GLS. And the flagship model in the flagship range is the AMG GLS 63, a biturbo 5.5-litre V8 that does everything in a big way. Freshly updated in April with a little extra power, specification and pricing, it is pitched at elite rivals like the long-established Range Rover.

When it comes to big not many vehicles do it bigger than the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 4MATIC. It’s more than 5.1m long, more than 1.9m wide and it weighs in at nearly 2600kg.

That’s big. Really big!

But there’s more … it’s also got a 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 engine that pumps out 430kW/760Nm. All that oomph drags all that weight from rest to 100km/h in just 4.6sec.

Now that’s big performance. Really big performance!

But, again, that’s not all. That performance comes at a price … the GLS 63 will set you back $217,900 (plus on-road costs).

That’s big money obviously, although in the exclusive world of high performance luxury SUVs you can pay a lot more. Like more than $400,000 for a Bentley Bentayga and more than $300,000 for a Range Rover.

The 63 is the flagship of the newly revised GLS range and has been fettled – as its name suggest – by those power-hungry fiends at Benz’s AMG hot tuning division.

Previously the GLS was known as the GL, but an S has been added to make it clear this is the biggest and most prestigious Benz SUV you can buy, equivalent to the S-Class saloon in the passenger car range.

The same alignment has been performed throughout the Benz SUV and passenger car range, starting with the GLA progressing through the GLC and up to the GLE (nee ML).

ML/GLE and GL/GLS are close technical relations and both are facelifts rather than all-new. The GLS is bigger (did we already mention it’s big?) and offers seven seats as standard. Compared to the GL, the GLS has some minor external differences, some interior upgrades including a new instrument panel, a new three-spoke multi-function steering wheel and modified centre console with touchpad.

The 63 also adds 20kW to its power output and a little over $3000 to its manufacturer recommended price compared to its predecessor.

Launched here in April, the range starts with the $116,900 GLS 350 d. Then comes the $135,900 350 d Sport and $161,900 500.

Predictably, for that sort of money, equipment levels start pretty high and get more impressive as you climb through the range.

The safety equipment baseline includes nine airbags. Importantly window bags stretch all the way to the third row. Then there is an array of active safety assistants including blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist, brake assist with cross-traffic assist, distronic cruise control with steering assist and ‘stop & go pilot’.

Other safety items include a 360-degree camera and parking sensors – both great to avoid unfortunate incidents in close confines – tyre pressure loss monitoring and a five-star ANCAP rating.

Unsurprisingly, creature comforts are an important part of the mix too. Many things are powered; steering column adjustment, the front seats, the folding functions of the second and third-row seats and the tailgate. There’s also stitched leather interior trim, 14-speaker Harmon Kardon audio, tri-zone air-con, a panoramic powered sunroof and LED headlights.

Apple CarPlay smartphone integration is standard but there is no Android Auto. The spare tyre is some horrible looking collapsible thing hidden under the luggage area floor.

The GLS has neat little touches too, like puddle lights that project the Mercedes-AMG logo onto the ground, sunblinds for the second-row passengers – who also get air vents located overhead (alongside reading lights) in the B-pillar and in the rear of the second console. They can also adjust temperature and fan speed.

The AMG version gets important stuff related to the driving experience. For instance, its top speed is boosted to 270km/h (hooray!), it rides on 22-inch (yes 22!) alloy wheels shod with Pirelli P Zero rubber, gets its own sports tune of the Airmatic air suspension, high performance brakes, a Sport+ mode added to the Dynamic Select adjuster that retunes engine, transmission and suspension among other things.

The 63 also features the Active Curve roll stabilisation function which is shared with the GLS 500.

There are luxury AMG extras too including sports seats (that are heated and ventilated), a sports pedal cluster, instruments, power closing doors and even temperature controlled cup-holders.

But you want to know what the really cool thing about the the GLS 63 is? That hot engine. It sounds awesome and goes hard, hooking-up really impressively with the AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic transmission and rearward-biased 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

Even in civilised Comfort mode it’s a strong combination. There’s a direct relationship between throttle and wheels that belies the amount of whirring, meshing and occasionally jolting bits involved in forward propulsion.

Flick the switch to Sport or Sport+ and the whole driveline tightens up and lights up. The ridiculous velocity, especially considering the kerb weight, is accompanied by slick shifts in either auto or manual mode and a ripping sound track that combines basso exhaust, whoomp-bang up-changes and splattering downchanges. Yummy.

It’s all so sad that this engine, codenamed M157, is coming to the end of its life. Emissions and fuel economy deem it so, but definitely not character.

Speaking of fuel economy, we averaged 15.2L/100km against a 12.3L claim on 98 RON PULP. The tank takes 100 litres and can empty very rapidly. You have been warned.

More surprising is just how well this thing drives for its size. The bigger and more open the road gets the better it is, but even in quite winding stuff the body control and balance encourages the driver. It’s especially noticeable the way the electric-assist steering provides a decent idea of what the front tyres are doing and where they are pointing. One tip; turn off steering assist if you want to enjoy the GLS 63 at its best, otherwise there are just too many artificial inputs. Lane-keep assist is also quite violent in its corrections.

Ultimately, the GLS 63 lapses into understeer when pushed hard in tight corners. Rough roads also tend to shake its composure when pushing along. The braking system also starts to get worn down by the task of hauling so much weight up time and again. Even higher performance brakes next time please, AMG.

At lower speeds in tighter spaces the GLS is something of a nightmare. Despite all the parking aids, light steering and a high viewing platform it’s so big the fear of making contact with something or someone is constant. The test car came to us with barked left-hand alloys and that was not at all surprising.

The GLS 63 rides surprisingly well on most surfaces despite the huge wheels and rubber. Sharp-edged holes produced the most shock and noise, but soft edges tackled in Comfort mode were well contained.

Nosie levels are also well minimised despite those massive tyres and the huge amount of air this thing must push aside to progress.

There’s also a decent amount of space in the cabin, even in the third row which can fit adults for short trips. Access to row three is excellent thanks to the way the second-row power folds forward, the front seat co-operating by sliding forward as well.

The way the seats fold mean you can also create a flexible interior and a very commodious one, with up to 2300 litres of carrying capacity.

But for all that, the interior controls and displays aren’t at the cutting edge like they are in newer models including some Benzes. The media screen at the top of the centre stack is small and only smudges when touched. Dialling through various functions and menus via buttons, the Comand dial or touchpad is laborious compared to the latest generation of interactive screens.

Storage should also be better in the GLS. Yes, having the gearshifter on the right-hand side of the steering column creates space in the centre console but the door pockets are too skinny … and I still keep tapping into neutral when I turn left because I use the shifter not the indicator. Doh!

So do I recommend the GLS? Not really. It has big positives, but it also has big negatives.

It just goes to proves that bigger isn’t always better.

2016 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 pricing and specifications:
Price: $217,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 5.5-litre eight-cylinder twin-turbo-petrol
Outputs: 430kW/760Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 14.7L/100km (ADR combined)
CO2: 288g/km (ADR combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Bentley Bentayga (from $423,600)
>> Porsche Cayenne (from $109,400)
>> Range Rover SV Autobiography (from $179,800)