Mercedes-AMG reveals the GT SUV, its first in-house electric SUV

Not from scratch. AMG has sold plenty of fast SUVs, but, as TopSpeed explains, they always started on a regular Mercedes-Benz platform that AMG then reworked with more power and sharper suspension.

The GT SUV is different. Mercedes says it is the first full-size SUV in AMG's 59-year history developed entirely in-house, from the ground up, at its base in Affalterbach, Germany.

It's also the second car on AMG.EA, the company's dedicated electric performance platform. The first was the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, revealed earlier this year. The Verge calls the SUV that sedan's "beefier cousin," and the two share most of their key technology.

Stefan Weckbach, who runs Mercedes-AMG, summed up the pitch in five words: "SUV by shape. GT by nature."

Building in-house means AMG decided everything itself: the seating position, the low center of gravity and the low roofline. Think of it like a chef who stops reheating someone else's sauce and starts from raw tomatoes.

There are three versions, and they are not shy:

• AMG GT 63 SUV: three axial flux motors, up to 860 kW, about 1,153 hp (Mercedes quotes 1,169 metric horsepower).
• AMG GT 55 SUV: the same three-motor setup, 600 kW (816 metric hp).
• AMG GT 53 SUV: two regular synchronous motors, 400 kW (544 metric hp).

The top model goes from 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 seconds and from 0 to 124 mph in 6.8 seconds, Mercedes says. Top speed is about 168 mph with the optional Driver's Package.

By the numbers: AMG also highlights a sustained output of up to 530 kW, about 711 hp, that the car can keep delivering instead of fading after a few hard launches. TopSpeed points out that this is the number that sets it apart from EVs with big peak figures that drop off quickly.

Most electric car motors are long cylinders. An axial flux motor is shaped more like a thick dinner plate. That flat shape packs a lot of power into a small, light package.

In the GT 63 and GT 55, two of these motors sit together in one unit on the rear axle. A third one sits at the front and works as a "booster." A clutch disconnects it when you're cruising, so it doesn't waste energy, and reconnects it in a flash when you accelerate or brake.

The GT 53 takes a simpler route. It uses two conventional motors, but the rear one has a two-speed transmission: a short first gear for quick starts and city driving, and a taller second gear for relaxed highway cruising.

Mercedes says the battery is "inspired by Formula 1" and developed in Affalterbach. Here's what that means in practice:

• Two sizes: 106 kWh (18 modules) or 128 kWh (22 modules), both at 800 volts.
• The cells: tall, narrow cylinders, 105 mm high and 26 mm across, so heat has a short path out.
• The cooling: a special oil that doesn't conduct electricity flows directly around every single cell.
• The chemistry: an NCMA cathode and a silicon-containing anode, with energy density above 298 Wh per kilogram.
• The range: up to 700 km, about 435 miles, on the European WLTP cycle with the big battery.

Why it matters: Batteries get hot when you push them hard, and hot batteries slow down to protect themselves. Cooling every cell evenly is what lets the car repeat its full performance lap after lap, and charge fast without overheating.

Very fast. With the 128-kWh battery, the GT SUV accepts up to 710 kW at a DC fast charger. Mercedes says that adds up to 450 km (about 280 miles) of WLTP range in 10 minutes, and charging from 10 to 80 percent takes about 12 minutes.

The 106-kWh version charges at up to 600 kW and adds up to 380 km in 10 minutes.

For context, The Verge notes that the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric tops out at 320 kW. TopSpeed says 710 kW would put the AMG among the quickest-charging production vehicles on sale.

In real life Very few public chargers deliver anywhere near 710 kW today. At a more common 400 kW station, Mercedes says a 10 to 80 percent charge takes about 14 minutes (106 kWh) or 16 minutes (128 kWh). Still a short coffee stop.

The car also switches itself to 400-volt mode at older chargers, and it supports five fast-charging standards, including NACS, the Tesla-style plug now spreading across the US.

With a new suspension called AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL+. Instead of traditional metal anti-roll bars, it uses active hydraulic elements that push back against the body's lean. It's the first AMG to stop both pitch (nose diving under braking) and roll (leaning in corners) this way.

Add to that:

• Air springs: three-stage adjustable, with their own 8.2-liter pressure reservoir.
• Rear-wheel steering: up to 6 degrees, standard. Below about 50 mph the rear wheels turn opposite the fronts to tighten turns; above that, the same way for stability.
• Active aero: a roof spoiler that deploys above about 93 mph, and slats in the front bumper that close when the car doesn't need extra cooling.
• AMG RACE ENGINEER: three rotary controls to tune throttle response, cornering behavior and wheel slip.

Weight is the other part of the story. Mercedes lists the GT 63 SUV at 2,585 to 2,695 kg. The Verge puts it at 5,941 pounds, slightly lighter than the Lotus Eletre R and the Lucid Gravity, and almost the same as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric.

Because AMG fans love the noise. The AMGFORCE Sport+ program, standard on every version, plays the recorded sound of a real AMG V8 or six-cylinder engine. It simulates gear changes you trigger with the paddles, adds seat shakers, and matches the screen design to the mood.

The Verge notes Mercedes is proud to use real engine recordings rather than synthetic electric tones. The sound profiles are adjustable. Either way, there is no actual engine under the hood: just a 78-liter front trunk.

There's also AI for the track. The Predictive Performance Manager uses track data to decide when to hold back power and when to deliver it all, saving energy on downhill or twisty sections so full power is ready for climbs and straights.

The cabin runs Mercedes' new MBUX system on its own operating system, MB.OS:

• Screens: a 14-inch center display angled toward the driver, a 10.2-inch instrument cluster and an optional 14-inch screen for the passenger.
• AI agents: ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini, built in, alongside Mercedes' own virtual assistant for car functions like climate and lighting.
• Space: 607 liters of trunk space, 1,740 liters with the rear seats folded, plus the 78-liter front trunk.
• Size: about 5,080 mm long and 2,001 mm wide on a 3,040 mm wheelbase.

Every version is built in Hall 32 at Mercedes' Sindelfingen plant in Germany.

What's next: The entry GT 53 SUV can be ordered from October 20, starting at 113,050 euros. The GT 63 and GT 55 follow in spring 2027.

For American buyers, TopSpeed reports the SUV reaches US dealerships in summer 2027 as a 2028 model. The Verge says Mercedes hasn't released US pricing yet and expects it closer to launch.

If you like this kind of electric muscle, Jaguar went the same direction this month with its 1,000-hp Type 01 grand tourer, and Land Rover launched the electric Range Rover Sport at the end of September.

• If you're shopping at this price: the GT 53 is the version you can order now in Europe; the more powerful models and US sales come in 2027.
• If you care about charging: 710 kW is a headline number, but your real charging speed depends on the station. At common 400 kW chargers, expect about 14 to 16 minutes for 10 to 80 percent.
• If you just like cars: the big technology here, axial flux motors and oil-cooled cylindrical cells, tends to trickle down to cheaper models over time.