I Rode in the Electric Mercedes-AMG GT SUV. It's Wicked Quick

• What's new: Mercedes-Benz is working on an SUV variant of its new AMG GT EV.
• Why it matters: Coming next year with a starting price around $150,000, the GT EV SUV will pack as much as 1,153 horsepower, super fast 600-kW charging, and more passenger space than its sedan counterpart.
• Edmunds says: Holy smokes, this thing is quick. And it's super nice inside.

OMG AMG

I ask Szczepek if this SUV has the same guts as the recently introduced Mercedes-AMG GT EV 4-Door sedan. And while he doesn't confirm anything, he smiles, chuckles and nods. This means a 106-kWh battery pack, three electric motors and — in the case of the GT 63 — an absolutely ridiculous 1,153 horsepower and 1,475 lb-ft of torque, which Szczepek is about to deploy.

I'm used to the thrill of launching a massively quick EV — thanks, Edmunds test track — but riding shotgun in the AMG SUV, the experience is downright brutal. Szczepek nails the throttle, my feet come off the floor, and I'm pinned to the back of a sport seat wrapped in bright blue leather. He lifts off the throttle, I catch my breath and he does it again. And again. And now I'm dizzy — but that's not a complaint.

Mercedes-AMG quotes a 2.0-second 0-to-60-mph time for the GT 63 EV sedan, so think 2.1 or 2.2 seconds for the likely heavier SUV. That doesn't tell the whole story, though; accelerative forces when you're already at speed feel even more intense compared to flooring an EV from a stop. The sound that accompanies the experience is also familiar: It's a burbly song sampled from the 4.0-liter V8 found in the old Mercedes-AMG GT R sports car. Plus, there are actuators in the floor and kickers in the seats that pulse and rumble in sync with the soundtrack. (Nothing like a subtle butt vibration to really drive home an experience, amirite?) I asked Szczepek if the SUV's sound experience will be different from the sedan's, and he slyly responded, "Maaaaybe." It'll definitely be cool if the aural qualities of each car are unique.

Beyond the sound, the AMG GT EV uses tech that simulates the action of a dual-clutch automatic transmission. It's stuff we've experienced in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: You'll hear pops and burbles when you "shift" gears, and the car will cut power and buck like it would if a conventional transmission was swapping cogs. Szczepek says this is a crucial part of the AMG driving experience — "a gear shift is not just a gear shift" — and this tech is quickly becoming one of my favorite facets of sporty EVs.

Notes from inside

The SUV's exact dimensions are still TBD, but in person the camo'd prototype looks bigger than the compact GLC but not quite as tall and upright as the midsize GLE.

I've been able to sit in the GT EV sedan, and compared to that, the SUV has significantly more passenger space, with increased head- and legroom in the back. Unlike the sedan, where the rear passengers kind of sink down and sit low, the SUV has stadium-style seating where the rear occupants are positioned higher than the folks in front. This is a boon for overall visibility; riding in the rear gives you a great view out front and to the sides. But there's still a pseudo transmission tunnel running down the length of the vehicle (that's partly where the battery is housed), so if you have people sitting three-across in the back, there's nowhere for the middle passenger to put their legs.

The best parts of the GT EV sedan's interior carry over to the SUV, including the wide center console with large metal control knobs for various dynamic settings. I absolutely adore the blue leather in this prototype — Mercedes had better offer this on the production car — and the seat controls and air vents feel good to the touch. A large panoramic roof gives the cabin an airy, spacious feeling, and blessedly, it can turn opaque on sunny days so you don't roast like a rotisserie chicken in a Ronco oven.

Unfortunately, the SUV also gets the worst parts of the sedan's cabin — namely, the massive in-your-face digital setup that incorporates a 10.2-inch gauge cluster, 14-inch central display and 14-inch passenger screen. I am firm in my belief that big screens do not equal luxury. But this isn't the first Mercedes to get the IMAX-like digital treatment, and it certainly won't be the last either. Sigh.

Coming in 2027

We're still months away from seeing the production-ready AMG GT EV SUV (mmm, alphabet soup). I hope it isn't as fishy-looking as the sedan, and that the rear doesn't have the same swath of gloss black trim. But we'll see. I fully expect Mercedes to offer the same GT 53, GT 55 and GT 63 models, and pricing should start in the $150,000 range. Like the GT sedan, this electric AMG won't appeal to all luxury-performance shoppers. But considering the popularity of SUVs relative to sedans these days, this version of the AMG GT EV is bound to be Merc's most important.

Photos by Michael Shaffer