Mercedes-AMG Electric Sports SUV Makes Over 1,150 HP

Wish the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door was bigger? Well, you’re in luck.

The German luxury marque’s performance sub-brand has just unveiled the SUV version of its first electric-only model. The high-riding EV packs everything that made the company’s super sedan so exciting, along with even more practicality.

Like its slightly older sibling, the GT SUV’s name is about apt as they come. This is the AMG GT 4-Door blown up to SUV proportions. It may not be as sleek as its sedan equivalent, but the model’s more aggressive styling works better on a bigger canvas. A wide stance, prominent wheel arches, and a sharp roofline will make it one of the most athletic-looking SUVs on the market when it launches.

Unsurprisingly, the body style leads to some major changes inside the vehicle. The screen-dominated front row—which has a 10.2-inch digital gauge, a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen, and the option of a 14-inch passenger display—is nearly identical in both versions of the electric GT, but the SUV’s three-person rear row offers significantly more room. There is also 21.4 cubic feet of cargo space located behind the seats, though the second row can also be folded down, increasing that area to around 61 cubic feet (the trunk also features an additional 2.4 cubic feet of space). As with the sedan, the cabin can be personalized through the automaker’s Manufaktur program.

As striking as the GT SUV may look, its most impressive feature is its powertrain. The EV, which is built on the same AMG.EA platform as its sibling, doesn’t just look sporty; it’s a true performance vehicle. The most potent version of the SUV, the GT63, is powered by a trio of the sort of axial motors you normally only find in supercars that combine to make up to 1,153 hp (711 hp of which is continuous output) and 1,475 ft lbs of torque. Thanks to all that electrical grunt, the vehicle can rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 168 mph. Two other versions will be sold, the tri-motor GT55, which makes a maximum 805 hp and 1,372 ft lbs of torque, and the dual-motor GT53, which makes up to 536 hp and 590 ft lbs of torque.

Brute strength is far from the only performance number that matters when it comes to EVs, though. The range-topping GT63 SUV uses an 800-volt electrical system and comes with a 128 kWh battery pack. Mercedes estimates that it will be able to run between 385 and 435 miles on a single charge. That number was reached using the more forgiving WLTP testing cycle, so expect the U.S. range, which is determined using the EPA testing cycle, to be lower. Regardless, range anxiety shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

The EV may be an SUV, but drivers can expect it to handle like a car thanks to the AMG Active Ride Control+ suspension system, which comes standard on the GT63 (which also features the AMG Dynamic Plus package) and is available as an option on the GT55. Each version of the model will also produce simulated engine noises. The GT63 and GT55 will sound like V-8s, while the GT55 will sound like a V-6.

Those in the market for an electric sports SUV won’t have too long to get their hands on the AMG GT SUV. All three versions of the model are expected to go on sale here next summer. We’ll have to wait on pricing information until closer to launch, but Car and Driver suggests pricing could begin at less than the $130,000 starting price of the range-topping AMG GT55 4-Door.

Click here to see more photos of the AMG GT SUV.