ⓘ Mercedes
Those funny AI videos where a clear windshield is a subscription-based service may be rather prophetic. Mercedes is making buyers of its electric AMG GT SUV pay more for faux V8 engine sounds.
Mercedes has unveiled the AMG GT SUV, the first homebrew full-size SUV by AMG. It sits on the electric AMG.EA platform shared with the new GT 4 Door Coupe and comes in three versions: GT 53, GT 55, and GT 63.
As has become fashionable, the AMGFORCE Sport+ mode pipes simulated engine sounds through the speakers, just like on the coupe. The base GT 53, however, only gets the sound of an AMG six-cylinder engine, while the more expensive GT 55 and GT 63 trims get the V8 roar. Mercedes says the noises that are accompanied by fake gear changes and seat shakers were recorded from real cars using more than 100 measurements and 16 microphones.
This may be so, but the notion that owners have to pay more if they want their silent EV to pretend it has eight cylinders is rather oddball, as the sound is, after all, just software. It costs Mercedes nothing to give the GT 53 the same soundtrack, but it has chosen to turn it into a quirky status symbol. Nobody buying a 1,000+ hp electric SUV is doing it for the noise, and that makes locking the V8 behind a price tag feel even quirkier.
Mercedes AMG GT SUV range and specs
Granted, the GT 63 and GT 55 trims are beasts, with the former offering three axial flux motors that deliver 860 kW (1,169 hp) and 2,000 Nm (1,475 lb ft) of torque. That is enough for 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration in 2.7 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h (168 mph). The GT 55 makes do with "only" 600 kW (816 hp) and needs 3.1 seconds for the sprint.
The base GT 53 relies on two synchronous motors with 400 kW (544 hp), a 4.2-second sprint and a 250 km/h (155 mph) limit. Rookie numbers that apparently deserve only faux V6 sounds. Two 800 V batteries are available, 106 kWh and 128 kWh, supporting DC charging at up to 600 kW and 710 kW, respectively. Mercedes claims up to 700 km (435 miles) of WLTP range with the larger pack and up to 450 km (280 miles) added in ten minutes.
Pricing for V6 sound trim
Active air suspension, rear wheel steering, and variable AWD are all part of the package. Pricing starts at €113,050 for the GT 53, and orders are already open. The GT 55 and GT 63 arrive in spring 2027, with prices still to be announced, but those fake V8 sounds won't come cheap.
Daniel Zlatev - Senior Tech Writer - 2278 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2021
Wooed by tech since the industrial espionage of Apple computers and the times of pixelized Nintendos, Daniel went and opened a gaming club when personal computers and consoles were still an expensive rarity. Nowadays, fascination is not with specs and speed but rather the lifestyle that computers in our pocket, house, and car have shoehorned us in, from the infinite scroll and the privacy hazards to authenticating every bit and move of our existence.