Mercedes GL 63 AMG review, test drive

Size apart, the differences from the regular GL are difficult to spot. AMG says the A-shaped inlet under the traditional grille, for extra cooling, is a dead giveaway; not so, it is difficult to spot. And its 21-inch wheels look only slightly larger than those on the regular car. The easiest way, by far, is to take a look at the rear, where the quadret of exhaust pipes in chrome stick out. 

But now I’m itching to get behind the wheel and experience the pyrotechnic display first-hand, so we head out in the direction of the Mumbai-Pune expressway, where the GL 63 AMG will have a bit more room to expand its performance envelope.

First impressions, on the way out, aren’t too different from those of the regular GL. Yes, it feels as vast as an aircraft hangar on the inside, big comfy seats for seven passengers, and yes, the rear windscreen is truly a long, long way back. But the GL feels surprisingly manageable from behind the wheel. It isn’t nerve-wracking to place in traffic and in 10 minutes, you do actually get pretty comfortable. There’s a lovely rumble under a light load and the big wad of torque at 2000rpm makes surging ahead in traffic totally effortless. Passing other cars is dead easy. You drive, it overtakes, just like that. It’s only a bit of a pain when you need to rein it in.

Performance increases disproportionately when you give the accelerator a generous bootful. The motor, now well and truly in ‘explosive’ mode, delivers such a strong hit of power above 3500rpm, the GL rocks back gently on its rear wheels and leaps forward with an intensity that defies belief. Phenomenal elasticity and a solid shove in the back are what you get. It’s enough to get you chuckling inadvertently.