The biggest change is the new AMG Active Ride Control suspension system. Hydraulics replace torsion bar cross-stabilises, and the shock absorbers also gain hydraulic connections.
Essentially you can decrease stiffness for off-roading, and increase it to reduce roll while cornering on road.
It makes for the sweetest handling G ever. One of Merc’s engineers was perhaps damning it with faint praise when he said to me that you no longer have to steer three seconds before the corner on the Autobahn. But I get where he’s coming from and he’s completely right. It’s certainly no Cayenne. But there’s a fluidity and preciseness that no longer makes the 63 quite so cheek-clenching in the bends.
There’s still a lot of dead around the centre of the steering and blatting down a set of s bends is still a workout for the forearms. But it feels remarkably svelte and short considering how unsvetle and tall it is. It feels SUV-like, rather than truck-like.
Ride is mostly well contained depending on which driving mode you’re in. Comfort is relatively soft with a gait well suited to the motorway. Although wind noise is definitely still a thing at motorway speeds, as is buffeting.
Sport + provides pops and bangs from the exhaust and a very stiff set up. Roll is much more contained with the stiffer suspension, as you’d imagine, but it isn’t disastrous even with it set up in soft.
I imagine Merc’s clientele will make use of the Individual mode and turn the exhaust on full and the dampers down to squidgy.
Off road
Off-road it’s great. On a fast, rally-like section the sheer heft of the car makes weight transfer surprisingly easy and not scary considering the height. While at slow, speed rock-crawling is helped with the optional trick suspension and a Traction Pro driving mode, which is great for getting out of sand.