You feel the difference as soon as you swap from the driver’s seat of the G500 to the G63. It is manically quick and has a more rounded, beefy exhaust note (where the G500 was a little loud and droney at times), and progress is made to feel faster by the more decisive and aggressive gearshifts of the AMG-fettled “speedshift†transmission.
Mercedes-Benz isn’t likely to fit the adaptive suspension to the AMG, with experts on the day telling us that the springs and dampers used on the G63 models have been developed specifically for a blend of on- and off-road performance.
The G63, however, isn’t as comfortable on rough surfaces as the G500, and nor does it feel as settled at speed. That could partly come down to the Edition 463’s 21-inch wheels (coated in 295/40 tyres).
Make what you will of the burnt caramel brown leather interior, the cabin is nicely finished â€" though it still has old-world packaging, including a lack of stowage points up front.
For instance, the front seat occupants sit quite close to the doors (not as far over as, say, a Land Rover Defender), and the rear seat of this 4.7-metre long SUV is incomprehensively tight. It has less leg room than some city cars.
The boot, though, is good, at 487 litres (or 2126L with the rear seats folded down).
If I had to choose one of the two petrol models, the G500 would be it. It is likely to be about $50,000 more affordable than the G63, and while the bragging rights may not be there, the adaptive suspension makes it a more appealing option.
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