2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class AMG G 63

Built with the precision of a military rifle but none of the singularity of purpose, the fully redesigned 2019 G-Class relies on style and emotion to justify its price rather than planning or execution. Much like before, the new G-Wagen — contrary to the Instagram hashtag hierarchy, it's not "G-Wagon," folks — is all power and authority from behind the wheel, but a mess when it comes to ergonomics and practicality, and a letdown in terms of technology.

We took the 2019 Mercedes-Benz G550 to the Edmunds test track to put it through its paces. Read on to see all of the numbers and information from our proprietary testing process, plus exclusive driving impressions from the best testing crew in the business.

2019 Mercedes-Benz G550 Performance Testing Results

Price as tested: $141,545
Date of test: 7/29/2019
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Odometer: 6,324
Powertrain: 4.0L V8 Turbo | 9-Speed Automatic | 4WD
Horsepower: 416 hp @ 5,250 rpm
Torque: 450 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm

2019 G550 Acceleration

"This is acceptably quick acceleration from something this...big. Fast enough for the money you're spending, but not absurd. The key-up run saw the G550 get itself right off the line without a stumble or much of a pause. Acceleration is moderately strong and linear with typically smooth and quick upshifts. The aero monster rears its head around 70mph and definitely slows the G's progress through the later half of the 1/4 mile. Wind noise gets pretty noticeable, almost rivalling the V8's side pipes. The quick run used power-braking up to 2.2k. There's no real sport mode, so there's not much, if any, difference. It just launches a bit harder. Seating position for something this fast is daft."

2019 G550 Braking

"Kinda funky and trucky. The pedal feels pretty boosted and has a bit of squish initially until you dig into the ABS — there, the pedal firms up, but this never really feels like a Mercedes. Invoking ABS invokes the ABS pump, which sounds like it's inside the car, just under the dash. It's loud, a bit squealy, and if you told me it was sourced from Dodge, I'd believe it. The moment after the stop, the pump would continue to whine and squeal until you pulled away. So weird. Stability was decent and nosedive was predictably noticeable. But the G felt composed, especially for something so tippy."

2019 G550 Handling

"Null. Around the skipad, with this radius, the ESC kicks in at just under 33 mph. It was as exciting as you'd imagine, but it probably needs to be as the G feels like it's always about 5 miles an hour from tipping onto its side. The steering feel is almost irrelevant, but at least it's accurate. ESC is also pretty firm with its intervention, especially on the handling loop. Armed with a Corolla, you could take this thing on almost any curving on-ramp. #goals"

2019 Mercedes-Benz G550 Vehicle Details

Drivetrain
Drive Type: All-Wheel Drive
Engine Type: Conventional Gasoline                                                                 
Engine Configuration: V8                                                              
Engine Displacement (liters): 4.0                                                             
Engine Induction Type: Turbocharged                                                               
Indicated Redline: 6,250                       
Actual Redline (rev limit): 6,250                                                     
Fuel Type: 91 octane                                                                    
Transmission Type: Automatic                                                                
Transmission Speeds: 9
Paddle Shifters: Yes, wheel-mounted                                                                
Downshift Rev Match/Throttle Blip: Yes                         
Holds Gears at Rev Limiter: No   

Curb Weight and Weight Distribution
Curb weight as tested (lbs): 5,664
Weight L/F (lbs): 1,525
Weight L/R (lbs): 1,305
Weight R/F (lbs): 1,507
Weight R/R (lbs): 1,327
Weight distribution, front (%): 53.5
GVWR (lbs): Not given

Brakes
ABS Type: Full ABS                                                           
Brake Rotor Type - Front: 1-Piece Disc                                    
Brake Rotor (other) - Front: Vented                                                                   
Brake Caliper Type - Front: Sliding                                                                    
Brake Pistons - Front: 1                                                                
Brake Rotor Type - Rear: 1-Piece Disc                                                              
Brake Rotor (other) - Rear: Vented                                                          
Brake Caliper Type - Rear: Sliding                                                         
Brake Pistons - Rear: 1                                                                 
Parking Brake: Button                           

Tires
Tire pressure spec - Front: 35               
Tire pressure spec - Rear: 44
Tire Make: Pirelli
Tire Model: Scorpion Zero All-Season
Tire Tread: Asymmetrical                                                              
Tire Type: Low Rolling Resistance                                                     
Tire Season: All-Season                                                               
Tire Size (sidewall) - Front: 275/50 R20 113V                                          
Tire Size (sidewall) - Rear: 275/50 R20 113V                                           
Spare Tire Type: Full-size non-matching                                                            
Tire Treadwear Rating: 500                                                          
Tire Temperature Rating: A                                                                     
Tire Traction Rating: A      

About the Driver
Kurt is involved with performance testing, vehicle evaluation and writing reviews. Fourteen-year-old Kurt would be pretty stoked — current Kurt is pretty stoked, too.

Behold the redesigned 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class. Yes, you could very well be wondering: "How is this any different from the outgoing G-Class SUV?" From a styling perspective, this new G-Class looks a lot like the old one. Yet virtually everything about it is new. The only carryover parts from its predecessor are the door handles, spare wheel cover and headlight washers.

The 2019 G-Class marks the first time this model has been completely redesigned. The longest-running vehicle generation in the company's history, the original G-Class was borne out of a request by the Shah of Iran in the early 1970s for Mercedes-Benz to build a go-anywhere military vehicle. Its transformation into the luxury SUV that we know today didn't occur until after Mercedes officially started stateside imports in 2002.

To the surprise of many, the G-Class' formidable off-road talents and ammo-box styling had the unanticipated side effect of bootstrapping its popularity as a status symbol among well-heeled, city-dwelling Americans. Along the way, Mercedes' in-house performance arm, AMG, started stuffing power-drenched engines into them. Americans responded by buying even more of them.

Today, more G-Class SUVs are sold in the U.S. than any other region on the planet. And the majority of those sold here are the high-performance AMG variant. Yet few G-Class owners will ever venture off the pavement at all, which is why Mercedes-Benz focused heavily on refining the on-road manners of the 2019 G-Class. That the new G-Class is also better off-road by nearly every metric is essential, even if it's simply to maintain street cred. There are many layers of irony here.

Wider, Lighter, Stiffer

The new G-Class is longer, has a longer wheelbase and is roughly 5 inches wider. These bigger dimensions have liberated more space inside, particularly in the back seat, where legroom jumps by nearly 6 inches. Despite its larger footprint and stiffer structure, the new G-Class is lighter. Aluminum doors, hood, tailgate and front fenders help shave 375 pounds on G 550 models.

The G-Class is still largely assembled by hand in Graz, Austria, and sports traditional body-on-frame construction, three electronically locking differentials and a low-range transfer case. The most significant hardware changes are found at the front axle. Gone is the old truck's solid axle and recirculating ball steering system. In their places are a double-wishbone suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. A live axle continues to underpin the rear.

In the Dirt

A hardcore off-roader — if there is such a thing for a G-Class owner — might instinctively turn up his or her nose at this news, but Mercedes says the new G-Class can ford deeper water, drive on steeper slopes and clamber over taller obstacles than its predecessor. Its additional size is perhaps the only inescapable downside when it comes to squeezing through narrow brush- and rock-lined trails.

For the off-road portion of our drive, we piloted a G 550 fitted with Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires. These tires (or an equivalent) will be optional on G 550s next year. With this footwear, the new G-Class is a beast in the rough stuff. It has loads of suspension articulation, plenty of clearance, and the unique ability to lock all three differentials.

Adding to the mechanical capability is the G-Class' electronic drive modes. Five on-road traction modes tailor the engine, transmission, suspension and steering. Three off-road modes (Sand, Trail and Rock) are available when the center differential lock button is pressed or low range is selected. As before, the new G-Class comes without some of the stuff you might find in other Mercedes products, such as air springs, decoupling stabilizer bars and rear-wheel steering. In this regard, the G-Class remains pretty traditional.

Of course, much of this off-road prowess is countered by the choice of tires on the G 63. Its Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires are decidedly biased toward pavement, especially with their short sidewalls stretched over 22-inch wheels. Don't go thinking you can plumb the depths of the new G-Class' off-road talents with these tires because you can't.

More Power and Torque

There's no denying this thing's propulsion. A hotted-up version of the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that's been in the G 550 for a few years now replaces the outgoing G 63's twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. Despite its smaller displacement, the new engine's 577 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque represent increases of 14 hp and 66 lb-ft. The G 550 is unchanged at 416 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque. However, a nine-speed automatic transmission replaces the previous seven-speed box, giving a broader gearing spread that's further augmented by a steeper low-range transfer case (now 2.93 instead of 2.10).

Its degree of torque multiplication is so effective at providing engine braking that a brake-based hill descent control system is unnecessary. Elsewhere, the center differential has a more rearward torque bias. It's now 40 percent front and 60 percent rear, compared to 50-50 in the old truck.

Far Better Manners

On pavement, which is exclusively where we drove the AMG G 63, the most noticeable and welcome improvement is the steering. It's now surprisingly precise and perfectly weighted. In contrast, the outgoing G-Class' steering reminded us of driving a forklift.

Likewise, the new G-Class' routine handling is outstanding among body-on-frame SUVs. It threads through corners with less roll and inspires more confidence than expected. You might even be tempted to throw it into corners with abandon. It's still no Porsche Cayenne Turbo, but the G-Class responds by getting around far better than its tonnage and sky-high center of gravity suggest.

It's also quite civilized. Body-on-frame construction blunts handling responses, but the isolation it provides from what's happening at the tires' business end has an upside: Road noise is nearly nonexistent. The ride is also compliant thanks to the well-tuned adaptive dampers. And while there's still some wind noise, it's much less than you might expect given the G-Class' upright styling.

The responses from the G 63's turbocharged V8 are immediate and rewarding. Its heaps of midrange torque make short work of any passing maneuver. Mercedes says it'll hit 60 mph in a hilariously scant 4.5 seconds, some 0.8 second quicker than its predecessor, and we believe it. Flooring the pedal produces a comedy of results. The rear end squats and the nose points skyward as a rush of thrust issues forth that's totally at odds with the shape of its wrapper. You get all that, plus a deliciously satisfying roar. Nobody makes turbocharged V8s sound as good as AMG.

In the Cabin

The materials are predictably supple and appear well-tailored and rich. We could do without the high-gloss finish to the flat center console, but the nearly vertical greenhouse prevents much sunlight from reflecting off of it. Overall, the cabin will make buyers feel as if they're getting their money's worth.

Pricing and Availability

The release date for the 2019 AMG G 63 is expected to come in early 2019, and the new G 550 is available now. You may not be able to tell a 2019 by just looking, but you will once you drive it.