2028 Mercedes-AMG GT SUV One-Ups The Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric With 1,153 HP

Whether you loved it or hated it, Mercedes sure got the car world talking when it showed off the 2027 AMG GT 4-Door Coupe EV. The styling was a wild departure from the Mercedes design language we're used to, it's the first production EV to feature axial flux motors, and if you spring for the GT63, it makes up to 1,153 horsepower. According to Mercedes, that's enough power to give it an official 0-to-60-mph time of 2.0 seconds. But crossovers still rule in 2026, and that means it's time for the new Mercedes-AMG GT SUV. 

If you want the most impressive performance, the 4-Door Coupe is still the one to buy over the larger, taller, more upright GT SUV. But the SUV borrows a lot more than the powertrain from the officially-not-a-sedan. Imagine the 4-Door Coupe as a crossover, and you probably pictured something pretty similar to what you see here. And in person, it works pretty well. I don't know if the SUV will win over anyone who already hated the 4-Door Coupe's styling, but personally I think the front end works better in crossover form, though I don't like the rear treatment quite as much.

Mercedes-AMG

It was going to be hard to make me like the rear more than 4-Door Coupe's, though, because I'm a big fan of that one, and crossovers require a certain amount of practicality that's visually less fun. One thing no one can argue with, however, is the fact that this is one crossover you aren't going to miss as it drives by. Calling a car "striking" has become a bit of a cliche, but at the same time, it's hard to think of a better way to describe the GT SUV. "Powerful" also works, because the GT63's 1,153 hp is slightly more than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric's 1,139 hp.

"Mesmerizing" might also work because, when they pulled the cover off at the preview Mercedes invited me to attend, I legitimately couldn't look away. It's not a car you look at once and move on from. It's interesting in the best way possible, and I found myself just walking around it slowly, taking in all the details, looking at it from different angles, and even just taking a couple of steps back to take in the entire car.

We're still talking about a two-row crossover here, not a mid-engine hypercar that's just as much art as it is a vehicle, but if you ever see one in a parking lot, don't be surprised if you end up checking it out for longer than you thought you would, even if you don't like the styling. Like I said. It's interesting, and a quick once-over isn't nearly enough time to take it all in.

As for the interior, it'll also look incredibly familiar to anyone who's seen the 4-Door Coupe's cabin, right down to the 10.2-inch driver display, 14-inch center screen angled toward the driver, and the same 14-inch passenger screen. If fact, if I showed both cabin photos to strangers, I don't know if anyone would be able to tell which one was the SUV. So if you didn't like what you saw inside the 4-Door Coupe, it's hard to imagine you'll be a fan of the crossover's interior. 

Differences do show up once you get to the second row, where the seats are mounted slightly higher than the front row, giving rear passengers a slightly better view. And while I don't think three adults would be comfortable back there, there's more than enough space for two full-size adults. Not just for shoulders and knees but heads, too. You'd think mounting the seats higher would leave rear passengers begging for more headroom, but nope.

As for the cargo area, it's pretty much just a cargo area. There's some storage under the floor, but AMG definitely saved the design flair for places in the car you're less likely to toss your sweaty gym bag. There's also a small frunk, but the hood isn't power-operated, so it's probably best for cable storage and an emergency kit. 

You also probably aren't reading this to find out how interesting the GT SUV's cargo area is. No, you want the numbers. Which is fair. I wanted to know the numbers, too. Plus, we already covered a lot of details like what an axial flux motor actually is in our first look at the new 4-Door Coupe. The SUV is 200 inches long with a 120-inch wheelbase, making it slightly longer than the Porsche Cayenne Electric. Mercedes will offer three variants: the two-motor GT53, three-motor GT55, and three-motor GT63. All-wheel drive comes standard on all models. Oh, and with all this talk of axial flux motors, the GT53 has to make do with synchronous motors, not the lighter, more power-dense motors with a cooler name. 

Mercedes-AMG

In the GT53, you get a continuous 362 hp and 590 pound-feet of torque, but that can temporarily jump to a maximum output 536 hp. Sending power to the front and rear wheels, Mercedes says it has a top speed of 155 mph with the Driver's Package, hits 62 mph in 3.8 seconds, and only needs 13.8 seconds to hit 124 mph. Power comes from a 106-kWh battery that can charge at speeds of up to 600 kW and offers a claimed range between 370 and 415 miles, depending on driving style, conditions, wheels, and other options. Those are also WLTP figures, so in the U.S., expect the EPA range to look more like 315-350 miles. If you can find a fast enough charger, it'll charge from 10% to 80% in 11 minutes. 

Upgrade to the GT55, and the addition of a third motor brings the GT SUV's continuous output to 711 hp and 1,372 lb-ft of torque; it can make as much as 805 hp at its peak. That drops the 0-62 time by a full second, cuts the 124 mph time by 4.4 seconds, and increases the top speed to 168 mph with the Driver's Package. It gets a 128-kWh battery that can charge at 710 kW, and range should be between 385 and 435 miles WLTP (probably 327 to 370 miles EPA). Filling the larger battery does take slightly longer, with the GT55's 10%-80% charge time rising to 12 minutes; if you can only find a 400-kW station, charging from 10% to 80% will take four minutes longer.

At the very top of the hierarchy sits the GT63. It still has three motors like the GT55, but it's been tuned to make a continuous 711 hp with a peak output of 1,153 hp. Torque is also higher, coming in at 1,475 lb-ft. Put it all together, and 62 mph arrives in 2.5 seconds, 124 mph arrives in 6.8 seconds, and the top speed... stays the same as the GT55's. Its 128-kWh battery charges at the same speed it does in the GT55, and its range estimates are the same as well. Those aren't exactly world record-setting range figures, but with the ability to charge faster than is currently possible with the public chargers available in the U.S., you may have to pick between ordering food and going to the bathroom each time you stop to charge. 

Mercedes-AMG

Besides, the first SUV developed by AMG was never going to be about maximizing range, and if any version was going to do that, it certainly wouldn't be the one that makes more than 1,100 hp. With a drag coefficient of 0.27, the GT SUV isn't exactly a rolling brick, either. It is hefty, though, with the GT63 weighing 5,941 pounds. But like with the 4-Door Coupe, Mercedes threw pretty much every bit of performance and handling technology it has available at the SUV. 

You get the latest version of AMG's Active Ride Control+ that can adjust both pitch and roll to keep the car flat through a corner, as well as while braking and accelerating. The three rotary controls next to the cupholders allow you to fine-tune how you want the car to handle, and, of course, you get active aero up front and an active spoiler out back. Mercedes says the 800-volt battery borrows from lessons learned in F1, and the system can automatically switch between 400 volts and 800 volts. The GT SUV also gets rear-wheel steering, and stopping is handles by front and rear carbon ceramics (the GT53 has steel brakes, and carbon ceramics are optional on the GT55). 

There's also a driving mode Mercedes calls AMGFORCE Sport+ that delivers the "authentically reproduced sound of a powerful AMG V8 engine or a characterful AMG six-cylinder in all its nuances, simulated gear changes, seat shakers and a matching display design create maximum intensity. All this in real time and tailored to the driving situation – a genuine AMG feeling with the potential to give you goosebumps." (The GT53 gets the six-cylinder noise, while the GT55 and GT63 make the V8 sounds.) Until we drive it, there's no telling how enjoyable that will be in practice, but Mercedes allowed me to listen to the "exhaust note" for a minute, and it actually sounded better than expected, even if you could still tell it was fake.

Not every feature is performance-focused, though. AMG gave the GT SUV a panoramic glass roof that can be darkened electronically, the latest version of Mercedes' infotainment system (now with more AI!), and so many customization and personalization options, there's a small but real chance at least one customer could die before the salesperson finishes walking them through every single thing they could tweak or change. For example, while I already mentioned the AMGFORCE Sport+ mode, AMG included six others: Comfort, Sport, Race, Slippery, Individual, and Eco. 

Mercedes-Benz

All that tech and engineering adds up, though, and even the GT53 won't be cheap. Mercedes says pricing will start at €113,050, or about $127,500, but how that will translate to U.S. pricing is still a mystery. Mercedes hasn't said how much the three-motor GT SUVs will cost, either. That said, if you live in Europe and want a GT53, orders open October 20, and Mercedes says the GT55 and GT63 will be available to order in the spring 2027. First deliveries in the U.S. are set to commence in summer 2027, seemingly with all three versions coming out at the same time.