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. Now, it must be pointed out here that the electric motor can’t just be added to the HP 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 0-60MPH sprint is even more brisk. Try 4.1sec in the seven-seater, and a staggering 3.8sec in the GLE 63 S. Other AMG treats include active engine mounts, 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 in off-road modes, and drop it in Sport or Sport+. It’s difficult to make something massive look good, but weirdly, I think the MercedesAMG 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 slabsided from the wrong angle, but the huge AMG-designed grille, 22-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 dash, the other in the center dash), as well as AMG peddles, steering wheel, and ample badging throughout. 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 22-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.
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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, then the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is an absolute sledgehammer, demolishing corners instead of 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 crosscountry jaunts than it is to tighter corners, but it’s undeniable impressive in the way it (mostly) hides its weight.
