The GL is Mercedes’ largest crossover out there and at this point it has very few competitors on the market. Among them, the Range Rover is probably the only one that can touch the Mercedes in terms of luxury and comfort. While most of Mercedes’ cars have been updated quite a bit with the change of name, the new 2017 Mercedes AMG GLS 63 is pretty much the same car as the 2013 model with only minor differences inside and out. We actually expected this to happen mainly because the car was quite new on the market and its chassis and powertrain were up to date when the name change occurred.
2017 MERCEDES AMG GLS 63 PRICE
A new version of the car is likely going to be released in the future but until then the GLS is going to remain the same massive performance machine it always was. While the base models of the GLS did receive a few upgrades, the AMG still uses the same engine, running gear and transmission. This is a bit odd mainly because AMG already moved to a new engine, but more on that later.
The price has to be one of the most stunning aspects of the GLS. The base price for an AMG version is more than $130,000 which makes it one of the most expensive crossovers out there.
INTERIOR
For this price the 2017 Mercedes AMG GLS 63 luckily comes with all the bells and whistles you would ever want from a car and then some. The new name, GLS, basically means that this new version is an S Class on a crossover’s chassis which is not that far from the truth. Like with any other modern Mercedes, the GLS likely has one of the best interiors in its class by a really big margin. There are seven standard seats available and the first two rows offer really nice bucket seats.
These move independently from each other and all of them are heated and ventilated as standard. The dashboard has been revised from the previous model but it still looks a bit too much like the C-Class. The steering wheel is new, the carbon fiber trim is new as well and Mercedes is now offering their latest infotainment system as standard.
EXTERIOR
In order to bring it up to date, the design of the new GLS has been changed slightly. The basic shape of the car is the same as before. However, this time around Mercedes gave it a new front end with their new grille and also a more rounded design. The AMG also gets a new bumper with a much larger grille while in the back there is an all new diffuser which should help with downforce at high speeds.
A large panoramic sunroof is also a standard feature and large rims wrapped in high performance tires are being offered as standard as well.
2017 MERCEDES AMG GLS 63 ENGINE
Moving to one of the oddest parts of the 2017 Mercedes AMG GLS 63, its engine. While pretty much all other AMG models have been moved to their new 4 liter V8, the GLS still gets a 5.5 liter twin-turbocharged V8 which is quite a bit older than the newer model. This has been updated so it now provides 577 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque from just 1,750 rpm so it feels much faster.
In fact, with the help of its 7 speed automatic gearbox and rear wheel biased all wheel drive system, the massively heavy car should be able to hit 60 MPH in around 4.5 seconds. The top speed is limited to 155 MPH mostly due to the fact the car weighs 5,800 pounds and it would need some seriously expensive tires in order to get past that threshold.
