If you get this thing in the deep snow, be firm on the throttle and in nearly every circumstance, you'll have no problem powering through the slushy stuff. The back end easily kicked out during turns at intersections, even under light throttle, but the traction control obediently pulled things back in line, and we never had an issue controlling the ML63 – even in thick patches of snow and ice. The combination of our tester's Pirelli winter shoes and 4Matic all-wheel drive resulted in a people mover that was perfectly suited for Nobody looking in this segment is remotely worried about efficiency and any concern for fuel economy is obliterated the moment you open the AMG brochure. Adding up our data resulted in a 12.3-mpg as-tested figure. Us? We frequently saw single-digit mileage numbers. If you're on your best behavior, the AMGĬrossover will return 15 miles per gallon on the highway, 11 in the city.
Speaking of fuel economy, the ML63's numbers are, as you'd expect, absolutely horrific.
The engine's sound is just that good, fuel economy be damned. On many occasions, we found ourselves manually clicking down through the gears while decelerating to a stop, letting the revs peak close to the 7,250-rpm redline. The AMG Speedshift seven-speed transmission is a perfect match for the naturally aspirated V8, firing off shifts with genuine quickness, with the paddle-shifters providing a level of haptic feedback better than most flappy paddles on the market. Mercedes-Benz states that its 5,093-pound, all-wheel-drive utility vehicle will run to 60 miles per hour in just 4.8 seconds – one-tenth of a second quicker than a The ML63 AMG doesn't do slow, and that's immediately noticeable off the line. This whole segment of overly powerful SUVs is awesomely absurd, and as much of a honey as the current AMG unit is, the new powerplant ought to make the ML63 more competitive with its insane contemporaries. Porsche Cayenne Turbo offers 500 hp and 516 lb-ft. To compare, theīMW X5 M's 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 is good for 555 hp and 500 lb-ft of twist, and the dearer In the current ML63, the 6.2-liter V8 pumps out 503 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque – plenty of push. Sure, the new engine is more powerful while offering improvedįuel economy, but we're really going to miss the current free-breathing setup, particularly the noise it generates while swinging to the far right side of the tach. The biggest change for the new ML63 is an expected heart transplant – the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter mill should give way in favor of the automaker's new 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8. We anticipate good things, especially when the AMG team gets its hands on the refreshed 'ute. The awkwardly shaped headlamps get a much-needed smoothing, and the taillamps grow in size, expanding onto the rear hatch. Mercedes has planned should do wonders for the exterior. Spy shots of the new M out testing, and even when covered in camouflage, it's obvious that the subtle styling tweaks M-Class design is simply growing a bit long in the tooth – a problem that will no doubt be fixed when the next-generation ML shows its face in the next year or so. Even more than the large wheels and wider fender flares, the giant exhaust tips look fantastic, giving the ML63 a sense of performance presence from the back end, and the sound emanating from them is pure big-bore bliss. We're partial to the five-spoke, 20-inch AMG alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli Ice & Snow 295/40-series rubber. Porsche competition, but it's more imposing than attractive.
Adding the bulgy AMG bits gives the ML more presence on the road without being as overtly snarly as its
Mercedes-Benz stylists haven't translated the brand's design language to their mid-size utility as smoothly as the larger In all honesty, the ML is a rather ugly thing, particularly in front.