[0:00] This is the new AMG GLE 63. And this is
[0:03] the new GLS 63. Forget electric motors
[0:06] and giant batteries. These new SUVs both
[0:09] come with massive twin turbo V8s. And
[0:11] there's more, because these new engines
[0:13] get the sort of tech you normally see in
[0:15] track-focused supercars. And there are
[0:17] plenty of other exciting upgrades as
[0:19] well. It looks like AMG has finally got
[0:22] its mojo back. But before we get into
[0:24] the engines, we need to talk about the
[0:25] design. Starting with this GLE 63. Just
[0:30] look at the front end. The old car
[0:32] wasn't exactly subtle, but this one has
[0:34] dialed the aggression all the way up.
[0:36] The new grill is bigger, bolder, and has
[0:38] a silver ring around the edge, which
[0:40] makes the car look like it's getting a
[0:42] dental exam. And check out what it looks
[0:44] like at [music] night. Yeah, the whole
[0:46] thing lights up like an influencer's
[0:48] ring light. And speaking of lights, just
[0:50] look at what the designers have done to
[0:52] the headlamps. Instead of a relatively
[0:54] subtle nod to the iconic Mercedes logo,
[0:56] like on the AMG GT 4-door, you get four
[0:59] massive stars across the front.
[1:01] >> [music]
[1:01] >> They remind me of novelty sunglasses,
[1:03] which probably isn't the high-end image
[1:05] Mercedes was going for. And it's the
[1:07] same story on the GLS. Although on that
[1:09] car, the stars are stacked vertically,
[1:11] so they look more like face tattoos. The
[1:14] rest of the new car's bumpers are
[1:16] actually pretty similar to before. You
[1:17] get large intakes on either side and
[1:19] some contrasting trim at the edge of the
[1:21] front splitter. But that's [music] it.
[1:23] It's almost impossible to spot the
[1:24] differences down the side. The bodywork
[1:26] is almost identical. And yes, you'll be
[1:28] able to get the GLE as this coupe and a
[1:31] taller upright SUV. However, there are
[1:33] new alloy wheels on offer across the
[1:34] range. They measure up to 22 inches on
[1:37] the GLE and a whopping 23 inches on the
[1:39] GLS. But can you spot what's changed at
[1:42] the back? Yeah, both cars [music] have
[1:44] even more star graphics in their brake
[1:47] lights. The GLE keeps things relatively
[1:49] sensible with four, but the GLS has gone
[1:51] all out with six. I get the AMG has
[1:54] always been slightly flashier than BMW's
[1:56] M division or Audi's RS department, but
[1:58] this is ridiculous. At least the four
[2:01] massive exhaust pipes have stuck around
[2:03] on both cars. Although, if they're
[2:05] anything like the old models, these will
[2:06] be oversized metal trims with smaller
[2:08] pipes hiding inside. [music] As you
[2:10] probably guessed by now, these aren't
[2:11] completely new models. They're
[2:13] comprehensive updates for the same GLE
[2:15] that's been on sale since 2018, and the
[2:17] same GLS [music] that's been around
[2:19] since 2019. But, I'm not mad that
[2:21] Mercedes is keeping these cars alive,
[2:23] especially because it means they are
[2:25] iconic 4-liter twin-turbo V8 are getting
[2:27] a new lease of life. As well as new
[2:29] intakes exhausts camshafts and
[2:31] upgraded turbos, [music]
[2:32] Mercedes has given these SUVs a new
[2:34] flat-plane crank. The crankshaft
[2:36] converts the pistons' up-and-down motion
[2:38] into rotation. [music] A cross-plane
[2:40] crank has its throws set 90° apart,
[2:43] giving a rumbling V8 sound, but [music]
[2:45] more inertia.
[2:49] A flat-plane crank has its throws 180°
[2:52] apart, enabling faster revs and A
[2:54] HIGHER-PITCHED WAIL.
[2:58] FERRARI FAMOUSLY USES FLAT-PLANE cranks
[3:00] in its V8 supercars, and so did AMG in
[3:02] the ultra-exclusive GT Black Series. So,
[3:05] what on earth is it using a flat-plane
[3:06] crank for [music] on a big, heavy SUV?
[3:09] Well, it's not for huge power gains.
[3:11] Both cars have 612 horsepower and 850
[3:14] Newton meters of torque, which is the
[3:15] same as before. And, they still use the
[3:17] same 22 horsepower electric motor and
[3:19] mild hybrid system to save a bit of fuel
[3:22] when you're cruising, and add an extra
[3:23] 205 Newton meters of torque when you
[3:25] suddenly accelerate. But, there is
[3:27] method in AMG's apparent madness. The
[3:29] internals of a flat-plane crank V8 tend
[3:32] to be lighter than a cross-plane crank,
[3:34] and this is one reason why they can rev
[3:35] up so quickly and hit insane redlines.
[3:38] This saves [music] fuel, and therefore
[3:39] reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Also,
[3:42] with a flat-plane crank, [music] the
[3:43] exhaust pulses coming from each cylinder
[3:45] bank are more regular. That's why they
[3:47] have that high-pitched wail.
[3:50] But, actually, this doesn't make much
[3:51] difference in a naturally aspirated
[3:53] engine like in an old Ferrari, but in a
[3:55] twin turbo car like the new GLE and GLS
[3:58] 63s, this smoother flow of exhaust gases
[4:00] helps the two turbos work more
[4:02] efficiently. Basically, they create more
[4:04] boost more of the time. So, how does
[4:05] this affect the performance of the new
[4:07] SUVs? Well, the 0 to 60 times haven't
[4:09] changed for either car. The GLE 63 does
[4:12] it in 3.9 seconds and the GLS in 4.2
[4:15] seconds and they both hit the same 174
[4:18] mph top speed. But I don't really care
[4:21] because these engines should feel very
[4:23] different to drive and they should sound
[4:25] completely different, too. [music] And
[4:26] that's not the only thing that's
[4:27] completely changed about these cars
[4:29] because check out these interiors. There
[4:31] are screens for days. [music] Both cars
[4:34] get a new wrap-around driver's display
[4:35] that completely absorbs the central
[4:37] touchscreen. And because it's 2026, you
[4:39] can't have a high-end luxury car without
[4:41] some kind of dedicated passenger display
[4:43] as well. Seriously, does anyone actually
[4:45] use these? Most passengers will just be
[4:47] on their phone, not messing around with
[4:48] the car's screen. Anyway, this stuff is
[4:50] carried over from the standard non-AMG
[4:52] versions of the new GLE and GLS, but in
[4:55] these 63 models, you get different
[4:56] [music] graphics, specific performance
[4:58] readouts, and customization options. The
[5:00] seats have also been given an AMG
[5:02] makeover with extra support and new
[5:04] exclusive leather options. And you also
[5:06] get a very similar steering wheel to the
[5:08] AMG GT with the all-important rotary
[5:10] switches. You use these to switch
[5:12] between different driving modes, adjust
[5:14] the stiffness of the adaptive air
[5:15] suspension, and my favorite, crank those
[5:18] exhaust valves all the way open.
[5:20] Passengers in the GLS's third row will
[5:22] thank you for it, at least for a bit.
[5:24] But, will your wallet thank you? Well,
[5:26] almost certainly not. Mercedes hasn't
[5:28] confirmed exactly how much these cars
[5:30] will cost yet, [music] but you can
[5:31] guarantee they'll be slightly dearer
[5:33] than the outgoing models. That means the
[5:35] GLE 63 will set you back over 140,000
[5:38] pounds and a range-topping GLS 63 will
[5:41] be over 160,000
[5:43] pounds. I'll be reviewing both these
[5:44] cars as soon as I can get my hands on
[5:46] them to tell you if they're worth the
[5:47] cash. Or are these European SUVs just
[5:50] overpriced? Because China [music] is
[5:51] offering more power for less money in
[5:54] the form of the Zeekr 8X. If you want to
[5:56] find out exactly what I mean, you need
[5:58] to check out the video just on the right
[6:00] of this screen. Thanks for watching, and
[6:01] I'll see you next time.