AMG G63 Comparison Pits Old Model Against New One
Visually, the old and new G63 may not look that much different. But those similarities only go skin deep.
When Mercedes-Benz redesigned the G-Class for the 2019 model year, it represented a major generational shift. The old model, while continuously updated, had roots dating back to 1979. That didn’t mean the previous G-Class was bad. In fact, it was still a perfectly capable luxury off-roader. It’s just that the newer one is a huge leap forward. And the same goes for the G63.
That’s exactly what Mat Watson of Carwow discovered when he pitted the previous generation AMG G63 against its modern counterpart. In a bevy of tests, Watson repeatedly found that the current generation beat its ancestor by a significant margin. That conclusion might sound like it’s anticlimactic, but the video is interesting the whole way through. Obviously, Mercedes developed a new G-Class with far more capability than the old one. Nevertheless, it’s fun to watch just how far the model has come.
Out With the Old, in With the New
On paper, the old AMG G63 holds up pretty well when compared to the new model. It’s 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 is rated at 571 horsepower and 561 Ibs-ft of torque, paired to a seven-speed automatic transmission. By contrast, the new model boasts a 4 liter twin-turbo V8 with 585 horsepower and 627 Ibs-ft of torque, which is paired to a nine-speed automatic. Clearly, the new G63 has a higher output. But it’s not a slam dunk win.
At least until you pit both of them against each other, which is exactly what Watson did. The results weren’t pretty. The old G63 got destroyed by the newer model. And it wasn’t even the straight line performance that was an issue either. “This is just weaving all over the place,” says Watson. “This was a little bit sketchy. It’s like bouncing over the tarmac. It’s all a little bit unnerving,” he adds. Beyond the increased horsepower, it seems like the current model benefits from greatly increased rigidity.
After conducting additional tests from a rolling start and a separate comparison that exclusively used manual mode, Watson and his team decided to test out the brakes on both models. Turns out the previous generation G63 isn’t substantially worse at stopping than the newer version. “This thing, for an old girl, actually brakes pretty well,” says Watson. The simplest explanation for the older model’s performance are the brakes themselves. They’re likely quite similar to the brakes in the new G63. It’s quite easy for a company like Mercedes to outfit even older models with the latest and greatest in braking technology. And that seems to have been the case with the older G63.
No Contest
It practically goes without saying that the previous generation G63 exhibited lots of body roll and ponderous behavior in a test designed to evaluate its handling characteristics. On the slalom course the older model could barely turn before the stability control kicked in and limited power. It seemed quite hard to actually maneuver the SUV around the course. The newer G63 didn’t have that problem. Watson found it handled quite well around the obstacles. “But that slalom handling test really highlights how bad the old G63 is to drive and actually how surprisingly good this new one is. I’m amazed by the difference. It’s night and day,” says Watson.
Basically, anyone not fully enamored with the previous generation model would be wise to consider a new one. The old G63 isn’t a disaster. Rather, the new model simply represents the pinnacle of what Mercedes can do with a ground-up redesign. It was never really a fair fight. “It’s a do-it-all car. It has the cool retro looks and the off-road capability. But it’s a luxury car that you can actually live with and enjoy every day,” says Watson. We’ll always love the rugged feel of the previous generation G-Class. But it’s hard to deny the excellence of the new model. Be sure to check out the full Carwow video. It contains a lot of juicy bits about why the models are so different than each other.