6×6 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG

The rugged G63 AMG from Mercedes-Benz is about to get even tougher, with the company confirming that it will soon offer this six-wheeled version for sale.

Originally developed for the Australian military back in 2011, the G63 AMG 6×6 will be built alongside the regular G-Class range at Magna Steyr’s operations in Graz, Austria.

Mercedes-Benz has yet to reveal pricing for the vehicle, but in an interview with Autoweek, the head of development for the Mercedes-Benz G Class range, Axel Harries, said interested buyers can expect to pay no more than the €350,000 recommended price of the company’s most expensive model, the SLS AMG Electric Drive.

While the commando version of the vehicle was based on the diesel-powered G320 CDI, the civilian variant uses the more powerful biturbo 5.5-litre V8. It produces 406kW of power and 760Nm of torque, and is matched to a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The behemoth measures 5867mm (231.3 inches) long, 2111mm (83.1 inches) wide and 2209mm (87 inches) tall, which makes it 1105mm (43.5 inches) longer, 226mm (8.9 inches) wider and 272mm (10.7 inches) taller than the standard G63 AMG. It also boasts an impressive ground clearance of 460mm (18.1 inches), some 249mm higher than the stock G63 AMG.

Despite weighing a hefty 3,775kg, the G63 AMG 6×6 will do 0-100km/h in less than 6 seconds before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 160km/h. Fuel economy is rated at 18L/100km.

The G63 AMG 6×6 comes with a four-door body with a polished bamboo cargo tray at the back, which has a maximum payload capacity of 650kg. The six driven wheels are equipped with low range gearing, a tyre-control system for its standard 37-inch wheels, and five differential locks that offer 100 per cent lockup of all six wheels via a trio of switches on the dash.

Mercedes is predicting sales of between 20 and 30 units annually when the G63 AMG 6×6 goes on sale in October. It is unclear at this stage whether the car will be brought into Australia.

 

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