Just days after Mercedes-Benz revealed the new M-Class SUV here at the Dubai motor show, the company’s Stuttgart headquarters released information on the new M63 AMG ready to go on sale in mid-2012.
The BMW X5M and X6M rival will bank on 525bhp, about 30 horses less than Munich’s SUV monsters, courtesy of the new 5.5-litre V8 biturbo engine which also produces a hefty 700Nm of torque. Both these figures represent an increase of 15bhp and 70Nm over the old model.
Naturally, this being AMG, customers will be given the choice of a special package that boosts power to 557bhp and 760Nm of torque, and you’ll notice that this is neatly 2bhp more than the X5M produces.
Keeping the big M63 on the blacktop is a newly developed Active Curve System that minimises body roll, plus there’s more clever stuff like a start-stop system, an AMG seven-speed transmission with a Controlled Efficiency driving mode, and an Airmatic package with air suspension, independent damper struts and automatic level control. That’s quite the arsenal to take on BMW’s M SUVs, and Mercedes claims 0-100kph times of 4.7 and 4.8 seconds depending on whether you splash out on the AMG Performance package or not.
But if you want to at least match the sprint times of the X5M and X6M, you’ve no choice than to unleash all 557 horses, because the Munichites pull off consistent 4.7s.
