- Mercedes has raised the curtain on a bit of absurdity – a 5-passenger SUV with more than 1,100 available horsepower and a zero-to-60 time as fast as 2.4 seconds.
Do you need to get the kids to school fast? It may cost you roughly $200,000, but Mercedes will soon have quite an answer to your dilemma – an electric 5-passenger SUV with the speed and reflexes of its fastest sports cars.
AMG is the in-house speed shop of Mercedes-Benz. It usually takes the brand’s cars and modifies them into high-performance editions that sell for premium prices.
On rare occasions, however, it develops a vehicle from scratch. The Mercedes-AMG GT, for instance, is an extraordinary performance car developed from the ground up by AMG.
Soon, it will get a larger sibling. AMG has built its own SUV, set to reach dealerships next summer, likely badged as a 2028 model. Mercedes hasn’t announced pricing, but we estimate a starting figure near $170,000.
All-Electric, With Extreme Power and Unknown Range
- The AMG GT SUV will have up to 711 hp under normal conditions, surging to 1,153 hp when needed.
- AMG has only provided European range figures, which don’t translate well to EPA range ratings.
The GT SUV is the second vehicle AMG has built on its new all-electric high-performance platform, following the GT 4-door coupe unveiled in May.
It will be offered in three trim levels – AMG GT 53, AMG GT 55, and AMG GT 63.
The 53 uses two motors, one per axle, for all-wheel-drive (AWD) grip and 362 hp under normal driving conditions, surging to 536 for brief bursts.
The 55 adds a third motor on the rear axle, boosting daily power to 711 hp and peak output to 805 hp. The 63 has the same setup and power rating under normal driving, but surges to 1,153.
The AMG GT SUV uses a “Formula 1-based 800-volt battery with directly cooled cylindrical cells for fast, repeatable and sustained power delivery,” Mercedes says. The company has provided range ratings only from European testing – up to 700 km (435 miles) – but tests by America’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tend to yield shorter estimates.
An Active Ride Control adaptive suspension features active pitch and roll stabilization – a first for AMG.
Active aerodynamics include a spoiler that “automatically adjusts its position to reduce aerodynamic drag or increase handling stability, depending on the driving situation.” Louvers in the front bumper stay closed during normal operation but open to increase cooling at high speeds.
Seating for Five, Sporty Look Inside and Out
- Active aerodynamics change the airflow at high speed.
- Interior tech includes an AI-powered voice assistant.
Park the AMG GT 4-door coupe and SUV next to each other, and you’d have no trouble understanding why Mercedes reused the name. The SUV shares the slinky curves of the lower car, but with an SUV’s broader stance. Those louvers look like gills in the bumper, and big brake vents behind the front fenders add to the effect.
Mercedes calls it a full-size vehicle, but it offers two, not three, rows of seating.
Inside, the driver faces a 10.2-inch digital display with a 14-inch multimedia screen canted slightly toward the driver’s seat. Mercedes says it will offer “a wide range of upholstery options and materials.” Press photos feature black with contrast-color red stitching and striking diamond quilting on the doors.
A panoramic glass roof goes from clear to opaque at the touch of a button – a trend in high-end vehicles that seems to be replacing sunroofs in newer designs.
Technologies inside include a virtual assistant that “can conduct complex, multi-turn conversations” and “integrates artificial intelligence from ChatGPT, Microsoft, and Google.”
Once you’ve dropped the kids at school, you can take it to the track. A track technology system “records over 80 vehicle-specific data points ten times per second and displays telemetry, acceleration, and race data on the driver display.”
