- The 2028 Mercedes-AMG GT SUV is the first SUV developed in-house by AMG and the second vehicle to use the AMG.EA high-performance architecture.
- The top-spec GT63 has a 1153-hp three-motor powertrain and can hit 60 mph in a claimed 2.4 seconds; the lineup also includes the less powerful GT55 and GT53.
- The AMG GT53 SUV features different e-motors and a smaller battery, but it’s lighter and the least expensive, though we’re still waiting on final pricing.
You thought the 2027 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door sedan had some impressive specs (and it absolutely does), but the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV has additional details on both the high end and the low end that make it mighty compelling. That’s partly because a new GT53 dual permanent-magnet-motor model slots in below at a more affordable price, while the GT55 and GT63 offer a 22 percent larger battery (128 kWh instead of 106 kWh in the GT sedan) and the same trio of axial-flux motors.
Peak Powertrain Performance
Axial-flux motors have been around for a while, but they have been troublesome to manufacture at scale in sizes suitable for series automobile production. For this reason, they have largely been relegated to electric front-drive axles in exotic high-performance sports cars with a rear-mounted internal-combustion engine. Think of the Ferrari 296 GTB and the Lamborghini Revuelto and Temerario, and you can see that they are sparingly used in very exclusive cars.
That’s not to say that the Mercedes-AMG GT SUV and sedan are inexpensive, but they do cost much less than these hypercars. Mercedes has invested a lot in learning how to produce axial-flux technology at a lower cost, and so now they appear in the AMG lineup. And they don’t just appear in a supporting role; they take center stage in the new AMG GT SUV and 4-door sedan as a three-motor setup in the GT55 and GT63. Like the sedan revealed earlier, there are two such motors in the rear of the SUV for propulsion and torque vectoring, and one at the front when additional thrust is needed. In the GT55, they produce a combined 805 peak horsepower (711 sustained) and 1372 pound-feet of torque. These numbers climb to an insane 1153 peak horsepower, the same 711 sustained, and 1475 pound-feet in the GT63, which is exactly what you get in the GT63 sedan.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but if you want to save a considerable amount of money, the new GT53 model that’s unique to the SUV benefits from the more traditional radial-flux permanent-magnet synchronous motors. There are only two of them, one in the front that is direct drive and another in the rear that’s supported by a two-speed automatic transmission. Together they make 536 peak hp and 590 pound-feet of torque, which isn’t bad when you consider that the GT53 weighs almost 400 pounds less than the other two.
Bigger Batteries for the Top Two
One reason why the GT55 and GT63 weigh more is that they have an 800-volt battery pack that has 22 modules instead of the sedan’s 18. This increases the capacity by 22 percent, bringing it from a usable capacity of 106 kWh up to 128 kWh. This results in a nominal range increase of maybe 2 percent (let’s call it a wash) for the SUV despite being some 520 pounds heavier and having a substantially higher aerodynamic drag area (Cd x A) than the sedan. Parenthetically, this increase in drag area also impacts acceleration, as the GT63 sedan is pegged at 2.0 seconds to 60 mph, while the SUV with the same powertrain is estimated at 2.4 seconds, a nice round 20 percent less quick off the line.
The GT53 SUV, on the other hand, has the 18-module pack from the sedan. But its range, by our estimation of the provided European WLTP numbers, might be down by only 4 percent from the tri-motor SUVs with the 22 percent larger battery, because the GT53’s standard-type electric motors are more efficient than the axial-flux units used in the top models. Point is, it may have the smaller battery, but the range is not really that different because of the standard motors.
What do we expect? When all is said and done, the GT53 SUV might have the same range, perhaps a little lower, than the GT63 sedan, which we previously estimated at 300 miles. Both have the same battery, but the more efficient motors of the SUV basically cancel out the sedan’s slicker shape. As for the GT63 SUV, it might have the same range or slightly better than its sedan counterpart. It has the same powertrain as the sedan, but its bigger battery makes up for its boxier shape, and then some.
Other Differences and Similarities
Because this is an SUV, the greater ride height and higher seating position create a bit more sensation of motion in cornering and braking maneuvers. That’s why they developed a new AMG Active Ride Control Plus suspension, which includes active roll and pitch stabilization. The system is derived from the one that underpins the GT63 4-door sedan, which uses cross-linked dampers to control body roll. That has been upgraded for the SUV, and they’ve also interconnected the front and rear axles in a similar way to control acceleration squat and dive under braking. It will be interesting to see exactly how it behaves once we drive it, but the concept is sound. The three-chamber air springs return, but they are undoubtedly retuned for the SUV application.
Inside, there is far more backseat space than the sedan. This humble scribe could easily sit behind his own adjusted driving position (he’s 6 foot, 2 inches), and there was an abundance of headroom. Make that hatroom. His feet were also extremely comfortable, even without the missing battery cells or “foot garage” of the 4-door sedan. It’s really quite spacious in back, which is exactly what you want in an SUV.
Up front, it’s nearly the same in appearance as the sedan. The screen angles toward the driver, and the three-knob AMG Race Engineer is still present with the same controls for response, agility, and traction. The AMGFORCE Sport Plus mode, when engaged, has simulated gearchanges, a lumpy idle, and even seat vibration to enhance the experience. As before, it’s a cammy V-8 engine in the GT55 and GT63, but in the GT53, it’s a six-cylinder, which we didn’t experience. Either way, the sound is projected both inside (pretty good) and outside (meh) the car, but we’re not convinced. We’ve got to actually drive it. Hey, you can always shut it off, right?
Available Next Summer
The 2028 Mercedes-AMG GT SUV goes on sale next summer. No range or consumption figures will be available until we get closer to that time. Pricing will have to wait too, but the GT55 and GT63 will be more expensive than their sedan brethren. That leaves the GT53 in an interesting place. It’ll probably start at less than the GT55 sedan, which means around $130,000, give or take.
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Dan Edmunds was born into the world of automobiles, but not how you might think. His father was a retired racing driver who opened Autoresearch, a race-car-building shop, where Dan cut his teeth as a metal fabricator. Engineering school followed, then SCCA Showroom Stock racing, and that combination landed him suspension development jobs at two different automakers. His writing career began when he was picked up by Edmunds.com (no relation) to build a testing department.