Dashing Mercedes-AMG GLS 63

Seven-seater V8 puts 450kW of power and 850Nm of torque to good use.

- Jaco van der Merwe

Nothing that weighs 2,625kg should be able to reach 100km/h from a standstill in 4.21 seconds. Yet here we are, gasping for breath after seeing the updated Mercedes-AMG GLS63's road test results.

Many will argue the point of the GLS 63's mere existence, and rightfully so. Mercedes already offers its seven-seater big daddy SUV in GLS450d and GLS580 guise, the latter capable of sprinting from 0 to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds.

Guessing that Affalterbach produces the GLS63 just because they can is plausible, but there is a more board approval-seeking method in the madness. Great German rival does not have, and neither does it intend to, have a pukka M version for the X7, the GLS' direct rival.