Mercedes-AMG's First In-House SUV Hits 1,153 hp and 710 kW Charging

Mercedes-AMG's First In-House SUV Hits 1,153 hp and 710 kW Charging

Mercedes-AMG pulled the covers off the AMG GT SUV on October 17 in Stuttgart: the first SUV the performance division has developed entirely on its own, without borrowing an existing Mercedes platform, and the second model on the dedicated AMG.EA electric architecture after the GT 4-Door Coupé.

Three axial-flux motors, 1,153 hp, born in Affalterbach

The flagship GT 63 runs three axial-flux motors — two on the rear axle, one up front — for a peak 1,153 hp (1,169 PS / 860 kW) and 1,475 lb-ft. Continuous output is 711 hp, and AMG is selling repeatability as much as the headline number. “The AMG GT SUV is a true milestone for us because it’s the first SUV ever born in Affalterbach,” GT product manager Nadine Schütt told reporters. Where a hand-built V8 once sat, there is now a plaque reading “Born in Affalterbach.”

0-60 in 2.4 seconds, 168 mph limited

Mercedes quotes 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds, or 2.4 seconds with one-foot rollout, 0-124 mph in 7.2 seconds and an electronically limited 168 mph. The GT 63 weighs 5,941 lbs — lighter than the Lotus Eletre R (6,007 lbs) and the Lucid Gravity (6,100 lbs), and almost identical to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric (5,960 lbs). Cargo space is 21.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats plus a 2.8-cubic-foot frunk.

Three trims, and the GT 53 goes first

The entry GT 53 uses two permanently excited synchronous motors for 536 hp and 590 lb-ft, reaching 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The GT 55 steps up to three motors, 805 hp and 1,372 lb-ft. The GT 53 starts at €113,050 (about $127,060) in Germany and opens for orders on October 20; the GT 55 and GT 63 follow in spring 2027, and all three reach U.S. dealers in summer 2027. U.S. pricing is unannounced.

710 kW charging that today’s chargers cannot deliver

The GT 55 and GT 63 carry a 128-kWh usable 800-volt pack that peaks at 710 kW DC, taking 10-80 percent in 12 minutes; the GT 53 has a 106-kWh pack, 600 kW and 11 minutes. Mercedes says the big pack adds 83 kWh in ten minutes at roughly 498 kW average, or about 450 km (280 miles) of WLTP range. Older stations trigger an automatic switch to 400 volts, stretching 10-80 percent to 16 minutes. Five DC standards are supported, including NACS. The catch: the fastest public chargers going in across the U.S. are rated around 400 kW, and a 750-kW unit once expected here has slipped to next year, so owners are buying headroom.

An F1-derived pack with oil-cooled cells

The battery uses tall, narrow cylindrical cells with an NCMA cathode and silicon in the anode, rated above 298 Wh/kg at cell level, with every cell bathed in a non-conductive oil for direct cooling — the engineering AMG credits for sustained power and fast charging. Both 128-kWh models target 385-435 miles (620-700 km) of WLTP range. Inside, a 14-inch central screen pairs with a 10.2-inch driver display and an optional 14-inch passenger screen.

The simulated V8 is optional

In AMGFORCE Sport+, the GT 63 and GT 55 play recorded V8 sounds and the GT 53 a six-cylinder, with eight virtual gears you can shift from the paddles and seats that vibrate to mimic the resonance. AMG is proud of using real engine recordings rather than synthetic EV tones; a Silent setting turns it off. A Predictive Performance Manager also uses track-mapping data to throttle output by topography, saving energy downhill so full power is available on climbs and straights.

Why Mercedes needs this car now

Mercedes posted a record quarter for battery-electric cars in Q3 2026 — 68,400 units, with group BEVs at 78,100 and European BEV sales up 78 percent year over year; the new electric GLC, CLA, GLB and GLA are sold out in Europe through year-end. Total car sales still fell 8 percent to 407,200 as China dropped 31 percent, and top-end sales slipped. A six-figure performance SUV protects the premium end while Mercedes trims weaker electric nameplates — it has cut the EQE and the Maybach EQS SUV from its 2027 lineup.

What it does to Porsche, Lucid and AMG’s own lineup

The GT 63’s obvious target is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric, which makes 1,139 hp, carries a 113-kWh battery, charges at up to 400 kW, runs 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds, tops out at 162 mph and costs $163,000 in the U.S. AMG beats it on peak power and charging power, and the bigger pack plus faster stops are the pitch. Lucid’s Gravity and the Lotus Eletre R compete on the same turf. For AMG itself, the risk is pricing its own loyal combustion buyers out of the showroom.

Next: U.S. dealers in summer 2027

The GT 53 opens the order book first, the GT 55 and GT 63 arrive in spring 2027, and all three land in the U.S. the following summer. The SUV is built at Sindelfingen’s Hall 32, retrofitted for the AMG.EA architecture, where pressings, body-in-white and paintwork are also produced; the axial-flux motors come from Mercedes-owned YASA. Timing and pricing for China are unannounced. The real limiter is infrastructure: almost nothing in America today can feed a 710-kW peak.