I Rode In Mercedes-AMG's New SUV. It Leaves The EQ Models In The Dust

The next Mercedes-AMG model will be an electric SUV, but it's not what you think.

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

By: Zander Sutton

Aug 19, at 10:00am ET

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In May, Mercedes-Benz took the cover off its next-generation AMG GT 4-Door to mixed reception. Gone was the thumping great V8 that powered it, and in its place was a battery. The platform itself was all-new and exclusive to Mercedes-AMG, with a promise of wider utilization beyond the GT 4-Door.

At this year’s Monterey Car Week, I had the opportunity to take a ride in what will be not only the next AMG model to feature the platform, but what might be the first dedicated AMG SUV ever built.

AMG GT 4-Door, But Bigger

Mercedes-AMG GT SUV Prototype

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes hasn’t given us a name for this vehicle yet. If you ask me, it will probably end up being "Mercedes-AMG GT SUV," or something similar. Despite being wrapped in camo, there are a few key visual details that help back up my case.

The rear taillights, for example, are the same design of that on the regular AMG GT 4-door. The headlights, while partially obstructed, look the same as well.

Size-wise, the Benz is on par with the GLC. Photos make it look deceptively large, but in reality, this thing is no bigger than any other compact premium SUV.

Photos by: Mercedes-Benz

Inside, the car is more or less the same as the AMG GT 4-Door. It features the same dashboard and screen layout, with a center screen angled toward the driver, and another sat right in front of the passenger.

Overkill? Perhaps, but given some of the other screens in Mercedes models as of right now, this should be expected.

This was still a prototype, so there were some wires and buttons and things of that nature poking throughout the cabin. Some of the materials were also not what Mercedes would consider a "final product."

For example, the trunk liner was plastic. But from a visual standpoint, and knowing what the material result for its sedan sibling is like, it is safe to say that everything in the cabin will feel like its price point.

Powered By Electrons

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes said the end goal for this SUV was to take the battery and platform architecture, and put it onto an SUV body while changing as little as possible. Obviously, suspension and damping work needed to be done to fit a heavier and larger body, but the engineer I rode with assured me that these two cars shared "more than 90 percent of the parts."

Because of that, we can assume that this upcoming car will share the same 106.0-kilowatt-hour battery of the regular GT 4-Door, using higher-density cells that enable better capacity and faster charging. The flux-axel motors on both the rear and front of the GT 4-Door should also appear in the finished car.

This car is, to put it bluntly, quick.

Photos by: Mercedes-Benz

While I was not able to measure a 0-60 mph time, my butt-dyno put this car somewhere in the 2.5-second range, which would put it roughly on par with the sedan. The engineer also would not confirm whether or not the prototype we were in was the equivalent of an AMG model, but given how the GT 4-Door was rolled out, as well as the smirk he gave, it’s safe to assume Mercedes is testing its highest-performance variant to launch first.

Electric range wasn’t mentioned either; however, peering at the dashboard, I saw a 96 percent charge with 296 miles of range left. This roughly equates to 300-310 miles, higher than the 235 miles you get out of its closest existing Mercedes rival, the EQE AMG SUV.

As far as handling is concerned, there was some body roll, but the twisty roads outside of Monterey were where an AMG should feel at home, and it did. Unlike previous AMG-Mercedes models like the EQS and EQE, special attention has gone into making sure that this upcoming car feels and rides like an AMG, not just an AMG version of an existing Mercedes product.

This upcoming SUV also features one of the most controversial features of modern EVs: fake noise. Previewed on the regular AMG GT 4-Door, the SUV features fake exhaust and engine noises when put into sport mode, and unlike in the aforementioned car, features a mild seat rumble during “revving” to mimic the feel of an internal combustion car.

More To Come

Photo by: Mercedes-Benz

While Mercedes has given no hints at when the AMG GT SUV will come out, given how close it seemed to being finished, we can only assume it's a matter of months before the curtain comes off.

What do you think?

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Expect prices for the SUV to start in the high $90,000 range, but we would not be shocked if this alleged AMG 63 Performance version we got a ride in starts in the six-figure range.

It is yet to be seen how the market responds to such a car. The Mercedes engineer who I rode alongside said the reception of the car during Car Week had been "very positive," but with volatile EV sales and the threat of cheaper models from China disrupting the electric market, Mercedes has to price it right in order for it to sell.