Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG (2012)

General information

This year’s model of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG, is not an easy one to ignore. It is rated as the second fastest SUV around the world and the most powerful SUV (with the AMG pack installed) to ever come out of any showroom to date. If you aren’t one to be impressed by statistics, you should go for a test drive or do the next best thing – continue reading this review.

Interior

Stepping into the ML 63 AMG feels like stepping into a different world altogether. From the moment the door opens, your senses are flooded with delight. The deep smell of high grade leather combined with wood hits your olfactory nerves, while the elegance in colors pleases your visual sense.

There is not a single inch of the interior space that has not been meticulously detailed. Along with the dashboard, the door paneling and the armrests too bear witness to the AMG design with trimmings in ARTICO man-made leather. The standard design features double topstitching in a contrasting color. With the added AMG performance pack, you get to experience perforated leather grip and aluminium shift paddles.

What really sets this car apart though is that if you don’t like the interior for whatever reason, you can have it done up in your choice of material.

Specifications

The latest technology graces the hood of the ML63 AMG. Its V8 Bi-turbo 5.5 litre engine features a spray guided direct injection. 4 valves per cylinder including camshaft adjustment, an all aluminium crank-case and an ECO start-stop system are also featured.

The engine has a 5461 cc displacement, with the 8 cylinder engine producing a max output of 386 kW and the torque peaks at 700 Nm. With the AMG package the performance values increase to 410 kW and 760 Nm respectively.

The ML 63 shoots from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds without the AMG pack and 4.7 seconds with it. For an engine this powerful, it has a good fuel consumption rate at 11.8 l/ 100 km.

Driving experience

In the AMG world, with great power comes greater control. The brilliant minds at AMG have packed the ML 63 AMG with various sports car like control features including dynamic shocks, computer controlled air suspension, and active roll stabilization. The active roll technology manages to keep the cabin level irrespective of your turns around corners. Think of it like a fancy toy car like stabilizer that even prevents the pitch movement when you accelerate or brake suddenly. This feature is so out there that at times it feels like being behind the wheels in a virtual reality game.

Ups and Downs

When you have a top end SUV that manages to get to 100 km/h in less than 5 seconds, there’s not much to be dissatisfied with. If we really had to be needy and ask for something more, it would probably have to be some end user technology that would blow our minds.