► Mercedes-AMG has launched a new performance SUV
► The top-spec version produces a whopping 1153bhp
► Prices are set to start from around £110,000

Mercedes-AMG is walking a tricky tightrope. Its customers have shunned its previous efforts at electrification, forcing it to move back towards V8 engines. However, increasingly stringent emissions regulations are preventing AMG from ditching electric motors entirely. The CO2 fines mean it can’t have one without the other.

In short, Mercedes needs an electric car that’s bold enough to entice its traditional buyers without alienating any fully converted electric car drivers. Enter the Mercedes AMG GT SUV – a low, wide and long super EV designed to compete against the Porsche Cayenne Electric and Range Rover Sport Electric.

The first cars will touch down in the UK later this year with prices starting from £110,000. More importantly for AMG’s credibility, the fastest version will be fast enough to keep pace with your average hypercar. At least in a straight line. Scroll down for all the details.

What’s hiding underneath that… erm… striking body?

The GT SUV is propped up by the same AMG.EA architecture found beneath the GT 4-Door Coupe. That means it gets the same 800-volt electrical system, the same clever active roll stabilisation technology, the same rear-wheel steering setup and the same obscenely powerful tri-motor powertrain.

There are three specifications to choose from, badged 53, 55 and 63. The 53 variant has one electric motor on each axle for a combined maximum output of 536bhp and 590lb ft of torque. AMG says that’s enough for a 0–62mph time of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. That’s certainly quick – but the other two models are quicker still.

The 55 adds an extra motor on the rear axle to boost power and torque up to 805bhp and 1372lb ft respectively. The extra grunt slashes the AMG GT SUV’s 0–62mph time down to just 3.1 seconds, while top speed creeps up to 168mph.

Keep climbing up to the 63 variant and you’ll get an even angrier version of the 55’s tri-motor powertrain with 1153bhp and a frankly ridiculous 1475lb ft of torque. Top speed remains the same at 168mph, but the SUV’s 0–62mph dips below the three-second barrier to just 2.7 seconds. That’s not quite as brisk as the top-spec Cayenne Turbo Electric, but we reckon it’ll still be more than fast enough to hurt your face.

As standard, the SUV gets the same 106kWh battery pack as GT 4-Door Coupe. AMG says that gives the entry-level 53 model a maximum driving range of 415 miles. The middling 55 and range-topping 63 variants are less long legged due to the higher power demands of their extra electric motors, meaning their maximum ranges fall to 363 miles.

To try and mitigate this issue, Mercedes-AMG offers a larger 128kWh battery on the 55 and 63 specifications, bumping their maximum driving ranges up to 435 miles. As an added bonus, the bigger battery isn’t any slower to charge as it can accept DC speeds of up to 710kW rather than the 600kW of the smaller unit.

Granted, chargers that can even approach those levels of power are still somewhat of a rarity in the UK but, when the do eventually arrive, you’ll be able to charge both batteries up from 10 to 80 per cent in a little over 10 minutes. That’s bordering on petrol car levels of convenience.

What’s the interior like?

It’s a lot like the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. The cabin is similarly selfish, with the infotainment screen and controls all pointing towards the driver. You also get a similar set of sports seats and the option to specify an additional 14.0-inch display for the front passenger.

Weirdly, the SUV doesn’t feel that much more practical than its fastback sibling. AMG’s designers were adamant they didn’t want the GT SUV to feel like a high-riding off-roader so, while its ride height might be lofty, its roofline is still quite low.

As a result, there isn’t that much extra headroom – especially in the back – while the extra 146 litres of boot space mainly comes from its longer estate-style rear end.

There’s also less rear legroom than we were expecting after getting up close to the GT SUV as, unlike most modern electric cars, it doesn’t have a completely flat floor pan. Mercedes needed somewhere to house the pipework for the battery’s liquid cooling system – and the only place it could put it without ruining the car’s design or handling was in a central tunnel in the cabin.

The top two trims get a trio of dials on their centre consoles that AMG calls the ‘Race Engineer.’ These three dials control the response of the electric motors, the firmness of the suspension and the amount of interference you get from the traction control.

Turn the dials all the way to the left and the GT SUV should be no more intimidating to drive than a Nissan Qashqai. But AMG assured me that, if you wind them all as far to the right as they can go, it’ll become a swivel-eyed destroyer of tyres. Just like its V8 forebears.

Does it have any other party tricks?

In an effort to appease its petrol-swilling fanbase, Mercedes has followed in Hyundai’s footsteps and given the AMG GT SUV a simulated gearbox and some fake engine noise. In typical Germanic fashion, though, AMG has taken the technology a little more seriously than its competitors.

Rather than synthesizing the engine noise, Mercedes stuck a couple of its engineers in an AMG GTR with a laptop and a microphone – and they recorded all the noises its V8 engine made at every load point across its rev range, from intake howl to overrun crackles.

AMG then mixed those sounds together into a file that’s mapped the GT SUV’s accelerator pedal – and the result is pretty impressive. I’ve only had a static demonstration so far, but it’s one of the most convincing fake engine noises going. It’s a shame how that’s now the yardstick for a fast car, but I’d rather have fake exhaust noise than no noise at all.

Mercedes-AMG is also adamant that the GT SUV’s looks serve a much more important function than just turning heads. Take the rear end as an example. That flat tail and subtle ducktail are there to improve the car’s range, as they both help to smooth out the turbulent air passing over the roof.

Plus, the GT is littered with active aerodynamic features, including some shutters on the front grille and a sneaky roof spoiler on the 55 and 63 variants that only deploys once you reach 150km/h (93mph). That spoiler will also adjust itself for either maximum efficiency or maximum downforce depending on how hard you’re pedalling the car.

When can I have one in the UK?

The cheapest AMG GT SUV 53 will be on sale before the end of October 2026 with a starting price of £110,000. However, AMG’s faster 55 and 63 models won’t hit UK showrooms until the start of 2027 at the earliest – and there’s still no word on price for either of them.

I probed Mercedes’ executives for target prices for the faster models. The most I could get out of them was a promise that the flagship version wouldn’t cost more than £200,000. We’ll have to wait and see where the final figures land, but it looks like AMG is positioning itself towards the top of the silly-fast performance SUV market.

For context, the Porsche Cayenne S Electric, which is the closest model in terms of performance to the AMG GT 53, is around £10,000 cheaper. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is very nearly half the price and you’ll save a few hundred quid by opting for the most basic version of the Range Rover Sport Electric.

Only time will tell whether the AMG GT SUV is worth the money Mercedes is asking for it. We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve driven it.