G-Banger

Mercedes-Benz Totally Revamped Its G-class In 2018, And The First Of The New Models Here Is The Top-of-the Range Amg G63.

- Matt Raudonikis

IT'S A VEHICLE that doesn’t make sense however you look at it. A two-tonne, high riding 4x4 wagon with military heritage that’s fitted with a twin-turbocharged V8 powerplant from one of Europe’s most respected sports saloon tuning houses. Yet you can’t help but be amused by AMG’s G63 off-roader from the time you lay eyes on its chiselled, purposeful body, to when you first hear the rumble from the side-exiting exhaust outlets, and experience the brain-scrambling performance.

We say this is AMG’s off-roader, but those massive 22-inch forged alloy wheels and low-profile asymmetrical tyres are hardly the kit you’d equip for an adventure on the Canning Stock Route or through the Sahara Desert. They are more relatable to the bellowing 430kW engine that is snugly wedged in between the front pair of oversized wheels and tyres.

The G-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s hardcore offroad wagon with nigh-on 40 years of heritage as a military and NGO vehicle, and it can take people to all corners of the globe and back again. The high-performance gurus at AMG simply dial back the off-road practicality and wind up the go-fast dial to create something truly unique. It’s akin to a Land Rover Defender fitted with a Range Rover’s luxury interior and supercharged V8 petrol engine, or a Lexus take on the LandCruiser 70 Series.

Not that the G63 isn’t off-road capable; it’s just that at more than $250,000 and with wheels that each probably cost the price of a new Jimny, we weren’t about to take it any place where we might scratch it. Even that stunning red paint is a $3900 option.