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Mercedes AMG Revamps GLE 63 S And GLS 63 With V8 Power
Mercedes AMG has sharpened its heavyweight SUVs. The GLE 63 S and GLS 63 get a thoroughly revised 4.0-litre biturbo V8 called the M177 EVO, the sort of engine that still makes you forgive a thousand luxury compromises simply because it sounds so good and goes so hard. Output sits at 450 kW (612 hp) with a fat 850 Nm available across a broad rev band. There is mild-hybrid help from an Integrated Starter Generator 2.0 that tacks on 17 kW and 205 Nm for instant shove and smoother restarts.
Engine Work You Can Feel
Under the bonnet AMG has not tinkered, it has rebuilt. The flat-plane crankshaft reduces rotating mass and encourages high revs and snappy response. Bolstered injection tech, reshaped intake and exhaust ports and upgraded turbo internals mean throttle inputs are sharper and the power curve is more obedient. Critically, exhaust aftertreatment now includes a particulate filter as standard, so this V8 looks like it will survive increasingly strict emissions rules without losing its character.
Exhaust And Noise Management
The new AMG Performance exhaust gets you two moods in one car. Use Comfort and the note is restrained and civilised. Flick into Sport+ and it turns theatrical. Valve control is handled both by driving modes and a centre-console button so you can be quiet at school drop-off and thundering on the motorway an hour later. The mechanical bits are designed to give you that purposeful V8 bark while keeping modern regulations at bay.
Chassis, Suspension And Dynamics
AMG RIDE CONTROL+ air suspension with adaptive damping stretches the SUV brief into something absurdly flexible. Want limousine comfort for long trips? Sorted. Fancy to-the-point sporty setup for a twisty road? Also sorted. There is even a Trail mode that raises ride height by 55 mm for light off-road work. Active roll stabilisation works at high speed to cut body roll and help handling feel much closer to a sports car than a heavy SUV should.
Interior, Tech And Personalisation
The cabin is where performance meets luxury. AMG performance steering wheels, carbon or aluminium trim and a digital MB.OS display that shows torque split, g-forces and engine data make it unmistakably AMG. The MANUFAKTUR personalisation programme offers a snacks-on-a-plate list of paints, leathers and trimmings for anyone who thinks standard is a dirty word.
Numbers that matter: 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds for the GLE 63 S and 4.2 seconds for the GLS 63, top speed limited to 280 km/h. Wheels go up to 22 inches on the GLE and 23 inches on the GLS if you fancy the stance. Fuel and CO2 figures remain robustly unimpressed by the hyperbole, but AMG has clearly spent its budget where it counts – engine, chassis and soundtrack.
In short, these are proper V8 SUVs for a time when V8s are becoming rarer. AMG has kept the drama and added a dose of modern sense. If you want a big SUV that can still make you grin, these two just moved to the front of the queue.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
