The world’s most powerful luxury family SUVs are getting smaller engines. Mercedes-AMG has other ideas.

The updated Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 arrives with a revised V8 and a renewed commitment to performance.

 

There was a time when the future looked bleak for the V8.

Environmental regulations were tightening. Electrification was accelerating. Four-cylinder hybrids were replacing legendary engines. Even Mercedes-AMG appeared to be moving away from the formula that made the brand famous.

Then something happened.

Customers pushed back.

Enthusiasts pushed back.

And AMG listened.

The result is the updated Mercedes-AMG GLS 63, a seven-seat luxury SUV that proudly continues to carry one of the automotive world’s most celebrated powerplants: a handcrafted 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8.

In a world obsessed with efficiency, the GLS 63 remains gloriously excessive.

And that is precisely why it matters.

 

The V8 Lives On

The revised AMG 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 remains the heart of the GLS 63.

The headline story is found beneath the bonnet.

Mercedes-AMG has introduced a revised version of its M177 Evo 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine.

The numbers remain extraordinary:

• 603 hp (450 kW)

• 850 Nm (627 lb-ft)

• 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance

• AMG SPEEDSHIFT 9-speed transmission

• AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive

This is not simply an old engine being kept alive.

AMG engineers have significantly revised the powertrain with updated injection systems, revised intake and exhaust components, improved turbocharger technology and a new flat-plane crankshaft design. The result is sharper throttle response, stronger power delivery and improved compliance with increasingly strict global emissions standards. Yet it retains the soundtrack and character AMG customers expect.

A Seven-Seater That Hunts Supercars

 

Few vehicles weighing this much should accelerate this quickly.

The numbers become even more impressive when you remember what the GLS 63 actually is.

This is not a sports car.

This is not a coupe.

This is a full-size luxury SUV capable of carrying seven passengers in complete comfort.

Yet AMG claims:

• 0-100 km/h in approximately 4.0 seconds

• Top speed up to 280 km/h with optional AMG Driver’s Package

• Full-time all-wheel drive

• Active roll stabilisation

• Adaptive AMG air suspension

Simply put, this is a luxury SUV capable of embarrassing performance cars that would have been considered exotic only a decade ago.

The Third Generation Of The Luxury SUV King

 

The GLS remains Mercedes-Benz’s flagship SUV.

The GLS lineage traces its roots back to the original GL-Class introduced in 2006.

Today the GLS sits at the very top of Mercedes-Benz’s SUV hierarchy and is often referred to as the S-Class of SUVs.

The updated model builds on the current third-generation platform while introducing revised exterior styling, updated AMG-specific front-end design, new lighting signatures and enhanced digital technology throughout the cabin.

The objective remains unchanged:

Deliver limousine comfort while offering genuine AMG performance.

Why Africa Still Loves Big Engines

For long-distance touring, towing and high-speed cruising, the V8 still has few rivals.

In Europe, electrification is rapidly reshaping the luxury market.

Africa remains different.

Buyers across South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Kenya still value:

• Long-distance touring ability

• Towing capability

• Reliability

• Instant overtaking power

• Luxury for large families

• Seven-seat practicality

The GLS 63 delivers all of these attributes while adding a level of performance that remains almost absurd.

For buyers travelling between Durban and Johannesburg, towing boats to Sodwana, crossing Namibia or touring Southern Africa, there remains something deeply reassuring about a large-capacity V8.

Luxury Without Compromise

The GLS 63 combines supercar performance with executive-class comfort.

The interior remains one of the finest in the luxury SUV segment.

Highlights include:

• Three-row seating

• Premium Nappa leather

• AMG performance steering wheel

• Burmester surround sound

• MBUX infotainment

• AMG-specific displays

• Executive rear seating options

• Advanced driver assistance systems

This is where the GLS separates itself from many performance SUVs.

It does not sacrifice comfort for speed.

It delivers both.

The Competition

The AMG GLS 63 enters battle against:

• BMW Alpina XB7

• BMW X7 M60i

• Range Rover Sport SV

• Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid

• Audi SQ7

• Lexus LX 700h

Yet few rivals can match the combination of:

✔ Seven seats

✔ Genuine V8 soundtrack

✔ AMG heritage

✔ Long-distance comfort

✔ Supercar acceleration

The Bigger Picture

The updated GLS 63 represents more than a vehicle launch.

It represents resistance.

Resistance against the idea that every performance car must become silent.

Resistance against the belief that emotion should be sacrificed for efficiency.

Resistance against the disappearance of one of automotive engineering’s greatest creations: the V8 engine.

The future may well be electric.

But Mercedes-AMG is reminding the world that passion still matters.

And sometimes passion arrives with eight cylinders.

Final Verdict

The Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 remains one of the most outrageous SUVs on sale today.

It combines seven-seat luxury, AMG engineering, long-distance comfort and genuine supercar pace into a single package.

More importantly, it keeps the V8 alive.

For enthusiasts, that alone is worth celebrating.

In an increasingly electrified world, the AMG GLS 63 stands as a reminder of what made performance cars special in the first place.

The sound.

The character.

The emotion.

And eight magnificent cylinders.