It is easy to get all rhapsodic about Mercedes-AMG’s newest GLS 63. Its finely crafted cabin, its trio of rows for six or seven occupants, and its bold, head-turning style featuring towering 23-inch rims and a new illuminated grille are certainly noteworthy attributes. Yet, in essence, the true appeal of this high-performance luxury sport utility vehicle centers entirely on what lies beneath the hood.
For the 2027 model year, Mercedes-AMG has comprehensively redesigned its signature 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine. It now packs an astonishing 603 horsepower and 627 foot-pounds of torque. That immense muscle provides more than enough force to launch this 6,110-pound heavyweight from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in just 4.0 seconds, a feat further aided by a newly integrated launch-control feature.
This formidable power plant is Mercedes-AMG’s new-generation M177 EVO engine, enhanced and enlivened by a flat-plane crankshaft—a design feature normally associated with the shrieking engines of exotic supercars. According to AMG engineers, this architecture successfully lowers internal mass, delivers sharper throttle response, and makes the V-8 significantly more eager to rev. Furthermore, the updated design assists the automaker in meeting increasingly stringent global emissions regulations.
If this more potent engine were not enough on its own, the 2027 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 bristles with fresh technology and engineering enhancements designed to sharpen its overall driving dynamics. It also arrives with a more distinctive exterior aesthetic and even greater levels of luxury for its cavernous interior. Combined, these updates give the latest high-performance GLS significantly more room to stand out in a fiercely contested segment crowded with rival three-row performance SUVs, such as Cadillac’s Escalade-V, BMW’s X7 M60i, and Audi’s brand-new SQ9.
What’s New
The current-generation GLS 63 has been a fixture of the luxury market since 2020, making this latest iteration a comprehensive midlife refresh. It is a substantial update, with Mercedes reporting that approximately 40 percent of the vehicle’s components are entirely new.
Visually, the vehicle makes a bolder statement from the very first glance. It adopts a revised, Panamericana-style grille complete with vertical chrome bars that pay direct homage to the historic 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL race car, which famously competed in the grueling Carrera Panamericana road race across Mexico.
Exterior lighting has also been completely overhauled. The vehicle now features a striking ring of bright-white LEDs framing the larger, thicker-edged grille. Enlarged headlights incorporate distinctive three-pointed-star running lights, while fresh taillights proudly showcase a motif built around multiple illuminated three-pointed stars.
At the rear, a new AMG Performance exhaust system features a quartet of ovoid exhaust tips poking aggressively through a redesigned rear diffuser. At all four corners, buyers will find an array of new wheel choices, highlighted by a massive 23-inch multi-spoke design alongside a distinctive five-spoke 23-inch monoblock option that evokes classic AMG styling themes.
Inside the cabin, occupants are greeted by a heavily redesigned dashboard layout. The interior is anchored by the brand’s expansive, full-width MBUX Superscreen, which deploys a trio of 12.3-inch displays, including a dedicated entertainment and navigation screen for the front-seat passenger. The vehicle also adopts the advanced MB.OS operating system, featuring enhanced "Hey Mercedes" voice commands backed by artificial intelligence searches and integrated Google Maps functionality. Reassuringly for driving purists, Mercedes has ensured that plenty of physical control buttons remain available.
Drivers will also grasp a thick-rimmed AMG steering wheel available in a variety of premium coverings. Naturally, the German automaker’s expanding Manufaktur program introduces a wide array of new, highly upscale choices for interior materials and upholstery. Less universally appealing, however, is the vibrant, extensive ambient lighting scheme inside the cabin, which can lend the interior a distinct aesthetic reminiscent of Tokyo by night.
Design
The full-bodied GLS 63 remains the largest vehicle in Mercedes’ ever-expanding fleet of utility vehicles. Measuring more than 206 inches from nose to tail, it still falls slightly short of competitors like Audi’s new SQ9 at 209 inches and Cadillac’s mammoth Escalade-V at 212 inches. Nevertheless, standing a towering 70 inches tall, drivers will never mistake it for anything other than an absolute automotive behemoth.
Yet, with the introduction of these latest exterior styling modifications, the GLS 63 projects a more distinctive presence than ever before, particularly when rolling on those oversized 23-inch wheels. AMG-exclusive exterior elements amplify its commanding road presence. These include a heavily curved, power-domed hood, a more aggressive front fascia with substantially larger lower air intakes, and a palette of striking new paint colors. Among the fresh hues are Mid-Green Metallic, Moonlight White Magno, and Mystic Blue Metallic.
Powertrain and Hardware
While the new M177 EVO V-8 serves as the anchor of the GLS 63’s performance credentials, it is supported by robust hardware designed to harness its output. This includes advanced mild-hybrid technology centered around a new-generation integrated starter-generator. At lower engine speeds, the system injects an additional 23 horsepower and 151 foot-pounds of torque. While it does not offer pure electric-only driving capability, the electrical architecture successfully sharpens off-the-line responsiveness and significantly smooths out the operation of the automatic stop-start system.
To ensure this large Mercedes handles corners with the same competence it displays in a straight line, the GLS 63 is equipped with AMG Active Ride Control+ active-roll stabilization. This technology actively counteracts body roll during cornering, paving the way for stable, highly precise handling dynamics. The system works in tandem with the standard air suspension, which can elevate the vehicle’s ride height by 2.2 inches when venturing off the beaten path. Adaptive damping technology delivers a firm ride quality in Comfort mode, which becomes noticeably firmer when switching into Sport or Sport+ modes, yielding a dramatic reduction in body roll.
Performance
For an automobile tipping the scales at more than 6,000 pounds, the comprehensive suite of AMG performance enhancements transforms the GLS 63 into a genuinely thrilling machine to drive. Straight-line acceleration is nothing short of explosive, and the combination of the new AMG exhaust system and the V-8 engine’s flat-plane crankshaft architecture produces an urgent, aggressive soundtrack that feels entirely out of character for a traditional SUV as the tachometer climbs toward its 6,800 rpm redline.
It is a sensational engine boasting tremendous character, offering seemingly endless low-end and midrange muscle for rapid passing maneuvers, alongside surprisingly smooth and refined high-speed cruising manners. Selecting Sport or Sport+ via the drive-mode selector unleashes a reservoir of raw energy.
Naturally, physics dictates that anything weighing over three tons and standing nearly six feet tall will never handle quite like a low-slung sports car. However, the GLS 63 makes a remarkably valiant effort, assisted by an electronic-locking rear differential that excels at putting all 603 horsepower effectively down to the asphalt. The steering is also well-judged; while it can initially feel slightly too light at lower speeds, it proves consistently precise and exceptionally communicative once underway.
The primary compromise for this level of athletic capability is a notably firm ride quality, even when the vehicle is set to Comfort mode. The sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires provide phenomenal cornering grip, but they also generate a fair amount of intrusive road noise, meaning deep highway potholes are best avoided whenever possible.
Is It Worth It?
Arguably the most significant market challenges facing this updated GLS 63 stem from within the Mercedes-AMG family itself. Many performance enthusiasts might find themselves entirely satisfied with the exceptional GLS 580, which shares the same foundational 4.0-liter V-8 engine architecture and still churns out a muscular 530 horsepower. Alternatively, buyers willing to forgo third-row seating can look to the slightly lighter, more compact, AMG-tuned GLE 63, which utilizes the exact same 603-horsepower engine.
However, for buyers who specifically require three rows of passenger seating alongside the capability to tow up to 7,700 pounds of boat trailer or track-day car hauler, the Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 delivers a level of performance and luxury that justifies its starting price of approximately $157,000.
