A close relative of mine has a knack for calling me the Kim Kardashian of the family, so can you imagine what were their reactions when I rolled up to their door in a special edition G-Wagon. “Now you’re a proper Kardashian”, I was told when I arrived. And I'll have you know, they heard me coming from two streets away, talk about making an entrance or being heard.
But as Dash as I was feeling in the G, I felt like I had to rather bring out the Kanye West in me or the likes of 50 Cent. I needed thick gold on me as well as some more black clothes in my life, and my 20-inch wheels needed more bling, you feel me? There's this whole gangsta vibes about the G that just seems to want to come out.
Gangsta vibes aside, if I did own this, and I would love to have one of these parked in my garage!, I would go the Kylie route 'coz I'm about that custom life. A while back, Kylie Jenner sold off one G 63 to replace it with another. She then customized it by wrapping it in a bright orange to match her orange Lamborghini Aventador and West Coast Customs also fitted it with a lift kit and custom 24-inch Forgiato wheels. Her sister Khloe Kardashian then traded her G550 for a G63 AMG after seeing hers - friendly competition or just for the love of more G? Whatever the reason, this wagon is manic and if you got the dough (and the status), I don't see why you shouldn't have one of these in your life as it's even quicker than many sports cars.
This car stands out anywhere and everywhere it goes. Whether on the road or in a parking lot, people screaming or pulling out phones to take pictures is something any owner of a G 63 should get used to. Everyone wants to see who's driving or who's getting out. There's really no hiding, and its boxy shape makes it stick out like a sore thumb.
Styling
The special edition, Edition 1 as it’s called, launched only a few days after Mercedes unveiled the revamped G 63 last year, which I vividly remember watching online. This G 63 Edition 1 is the flagship of the range and differs only cosmetically to the standard model.
Several paint finishes are available and as a discreet contrast, much like other Edition 1 models, my test derivative featured the sports stripes along the vehicle sides in matt graphite grey. Mine arrived in a stealthy black with red accents on the side mirrors, a ring on the alloy wheels, and red brake calipers which were adorned with black “AMG” lettering.
Aside from these exterior bits, the G-Wagon still has a menacing Panamericana grille and the signature side exhausts. The indicators got a slight tint to blend in with the black paint.
The black and red theme flows into the cabin. The contrasting hue is immediately noticeable on the seats and as a 12 o’clock marker on the steering wheel. There’s also red stitching on the seats and on parts of the door. On the door panels, the center console and the dashboard-mounted grab handle for the front passenger is a red and black carbon fiber trim. Some people nowadays find carbon fiber items to be a bit stale but in my world the more carbon fiber, the better. I love carbon fiber bits and I found the incorporation of red into it very unique to see and have in your vehicle.
Performance
Mechanically, the Edition 1 model hasn’t gone through any changes. The G 63 is powered by an AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine that replaced the previous 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine in the G 63.
|
Engine |
4.0-litre V8 with two turbochargers |
|
Displacement |
3982 cc |
|
Output |
430 kW (585 hp) @ 6,000 rpm |
|
Peak torque |
850 Nm @ 2,500 – 3,500 rpm |
|
Drive system |
AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive with rear-biased torque distribution of 40:60 |
|
Transmission |
AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9G |
|
Combined fuel consumption |
13.1 l/100 km |
|
Combined CO2 emissions |
299 g/km |
|
Acceleration 0-100 km/h |
4.5 s |
|
Top speed |
220 km/h (electronically limited) 240 km/h (with the optional AMG Driver's Package) |
The Drive
All of these facts and figures mean absolutely nothing. All I really want to say is, do yourself a favour and get behind the wheel to experience this for yourself. It's such an intoxicating experience!
But alas, this is a review and I have to give you more detail so let me try and string some words for you.
From the time you hear that V8 start up, you want to hit an open road, you want to hear more of that growling and crackling exhaust note. The G makes you feel like putting your foot down at every take, and it’s unlike the feeling you get when sitting in a ‘luxury’ or ‘premium SUV’. The G 63 is just on another level entirely.
The G 63 has several drive modes that consist of Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. During my time with it I spent most of the drives in the Individual mode whereby I had set the engine and exhaust to Sport+ for maximum throttle response and the snappiest shifts, while I kept the suspension on Comfort for a better ride quality. The Sport mode also adds an appropriate amount of weight, which I found ideal for all situations.
The G has excellent acceleration, handles superbly for a tanker and its massive AMG brakes can halt it securely. Its nine-speed automatic transmission is a joy and there’s also good feedback from the steering wheel making it comfortable for daily driving. However, it doesn’t have the greatest turning circle and you’ll feel it most when you need to park.
Space and Comfort
The latest model grew 4 inches in length and nearly 5 inches in width benefitting rear passengers by giving them 6 inches of more legroom. Back seats are very upright and feel like there is a lack of lumbar support, which means it may not be too comfortable on a long distance trip. Front seats are relatively comfortable with several adjustments options, as well as memory seats, a massaging feature and heating and ventilation while rear seats get a heating option only. In combination with the big windows, the front seats are also positioned in a way that provides an excellent all-round view and at a great height. I honestly didn’t expect vision (including the blind-spot) from the driver’s seat to be this superb.
Door pockets are sufficiently large while there’s also space to hold items in the center cubby and the main cubby. The boot can also hold quite a few luggage bags and still has its heavy swing-out door which needs a lot of space of open. But if you’re someone who can afford this SUV then space is probably not a problem in your life. The boot and passenger doors still make a rifle-action sound of the old G's locking mechanism and require a bit of a slam and this rustic feature is what many have grown to love.
Three adults can fit in the rear and there’s plenty of headroom even for the tallest of passengers. However, I expected the knee room in the rear to be a little more, and that coming from a petite-sized person.
Safety
Semi-autonomous safety features such as Active Lane Keeping Assist comes standard and can be set to adaptive. Like many cars, when nearing a broken line, the systems triggers a slight vibration in the steering wheel to bring the road and/or driving behaviour to your attention.
However, what I really didn’t like was when nearing a solid line, or tar marks that appear as a solid line, the system becomes very aggressive. It counter steers and even feels like it hits on the brakes sometimes as well, but in that moment it throws the car a little and can be frightening and sometimes quite frustrating too. One thing is certain though, it will really wake you up fast.
There are also other advanced systems such as Traffic Sign Assist and Camera & Park Assist. With camera’s all around the vehicle, you get a full 3D bird's eye view of the car and your surroundings to assist you when parking.
Something unique I haven’t come across yet is adaptive highbeams (aka brights, as South Africans like to call them). The G63 features a system called Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus. It benefits from the performance of MULTIBEAM LED technology: thanks to a larger number of pixels, the dark areas in the light distribution are more precise and dynamic in partial main-beam mode, and the main beam can be used for longer than before. Once switched on, the system always makes the best possible headlamp range available. It automatically switches on and off when it senses oncoming cars but it does so, so subtly that you don’t even notice. But that’s not the cool part. When the highbeams are switched on, the lights shine out from the center and then opens up towards the edges. Now that's style, it’s just too cool to see!
Talking about fancy lights, you know the 1982 Pontiac Firebird known as K.I.T.T in Knight Rider with the moving red light at the edge of its bonnet? The G 63 also has a similar flashy-light feature (from the headlight or grille) that swings horizontally when you start up the wagon. At least for 3 mil you're getting some unique features.
The most-powerful G-Class is also fitted with other modern safety systems such as blind-spot monitoring, rear-cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision alert with automatic braking and pedestrian detection.
Fuel Consumption
When the test car arrived, I was scared to check the fuel consumption as I was told I’m about to break the bank to fuel the G. Although, I wondered how thirsty it could possibly be when fuel consumption claims were rated at 13.1l/100 km. Yes, I know it’s a 63 and its shape isn’t the most aerodynamic, and claimed figures are sufficiently less compared to real-world driving figures, but I imagined it would be somewhere around 16l/100km because I had in mind our C63s which pull around 14l/100km.
I climbed in, took a breath, and then looked to that beautiful digital 12.3-inch central display on the dash with a configurable gauge cluster that also houses the COMAND infotainment system. I think I choked when I saw 26.something l/100 km. “Ok, so they weren’t joking,” I thought, but confident I would bring this figure down. And so I did. During my time with this grandiose 63, I averaged between 17-22l/100km per trip. My total average for covering almost 600km was 18.8l/100 km with a mix of highway and city driving.
On a side note, fuel consumption on any car is heavily driver dependent. An enthusiastic driver will want to feel and hear more out of their vehicle, making them drive with a heavier right foot which ultimately increases consumption.
Price
The Mercedes-AMG G 63 Edition 1 is yours for a price tag starting at R3,086,653.00.
The Verdict
There's no denying the allure of the G63. And while there’s plenty of SUVs on the market to shop from, none of the luxury SUVs carry a reputation as outrageous as the G-Class. This boxy off-roading legend has been thoroughly modernized but retains its adventurous spirit. It’s a beast-in-the-street and certainly not for the shy. For those who find it over the top, you can always take a look at the more sedate GLS-Class.
For letting the G in me out and letting Merc's G in, big-ups to BigFoot Detailing for allowing me to shoot in their studio.
Read more Mercedes-AMG G63 Car News & Advice