Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
If it wasn’t for the camouflaged front and rear ends, then this prototype of the facelifted Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 would have probably flown under the radar. However, since it makes it stand out, it also caught the attention of our spy photographers, who were on site in northern Europe to immortalize any testers that they bump shoulders with.
Think of it as a light makeover, with the intention of keeping it competitive for a few more years, until the next generation launches, and hopefully to force BMW’s hands at launching an M version of the X7, which would sit alongside the Alpina XB7 in their family.
It’s clear that the brand’s largest crossover became the focus of the camera lens in the GLS 63 guise, developed by Mercedes-AMG. After all, it sports the Panamericana grille with vertical slats up front, and the quad pipes at the rear. Elsewhere, it has sportier bumpers at both ends that further differentiate it from the rest of the range, alongside an aggressive diffuser, and several other things.
Mind you, for now anyway, the lighting units appear to carry over with identical graphics. The grille looks identical, and it has the same number of slats, and the large three-pointed star logo in the middle that sat under wraps on the pictured tester. The bumper does not seem to sport any changes for now, though that could be the camouflage doing its job. The same goes for the back end too, which was partially covered in snow in the images taken by our spies, hence why it’s even harder to spot the graphics of the taillights.
On the inside, we might be looking at a reconfigured dashboard that should host a more modern infotainment system in the brand’s super-fast seven-seat crossover. The steering wheel should be new, and as usual, it could get fresh upholstery and trim, alongside other tweaks. Nevertheless, since our photographers didn’t snap any images of the cabin, that’s pure assumption, and it may or may not confirm once it debuts.
Carrying a $139,000 MSRP stateside, the current Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 packs a 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8. Assisted by a mild-hybrid system, it is good for 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque, and it kicks out 603 hp (612 ps/450 kW). For such a big boy, it is very quick, taking 4.1 seconds to hit the 60 mph (97 kph) mark for a standstill. At this point, there is no reason to believe that the output and thrust will be altered in any way. So, in all likelihood, it will soldier on with the same V8 for now. Again, this is something that will be confirmed in due course, and that should happen in a few months, when the grand premiere of the car is believed to take place.
It’s clear that the brand’s largest crossover became the focus of the camera lens in the GLS 63 guise, developed by Mercedes-AMG. After all, it sports the Panamericana grille with vertical slats up front, and the quad pipes at the rear. Elsewhere, it has sportier bumpers at both ends that further differentiate it from the rest of the range, alongside an aggressive diffuser, and several other things.
Mind you, for now anyway, the lighting units appear to carry over with identical graphics. The grille looks identical, and it has the same number of slats, and the large three-pointed star logo in the middle that sat under wraps on the pictured tester. The bumper does not seem to sport any changes for now, though that could be the camouflage doing its job. The same goes for the back end too, which was partially covered in snow in the images taken by our spies, hence why it’s even harder to spot the graphics of the taillights.
On the inside, we might be looking at a reconfigured dashboard that should host a more modern infotainment system in the brand’s super-fast seven-seat crossover. The steering wheel should be new, and as usual, it could get fresh upholstery and trim, alongside other tweaks. Nevertheless, since our photographers didn’t snap any images of the cabin, that’s pure assumption, and it may or may not confirm once it debuts.
Carrying a $139,000 MSRP stateside, the current Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 packs a 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8. Assisted by a mild-hybrid system, it is good for 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque, and it kicks out 603 hp (612 ps/450 kW). For such a big boy, it is very quick, taking 4.1 seconds to hit the 60 mph (97 kph) mark for a standstill. At this point, there is no reason to believe that the output and thrust will be altered in any way. So, in all likelihood, it will soldier on with the same V8 for now. Again, this is something that will be confirmed in due course, and that should happen in a few months, when the grand premiere of the car is believed to take place.
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