Mercedes Benz G63 AMG

The Cradle of Humankind is only about 40mins outside Sandton and it hides away one great weekend away hotel. The Cradle Boutique Hotel is placed right in heart of the Cradle of Humankind. The location is really great for when you want to quickly escape the city clutter and get into a Kruger Park type headspace at the fraction of the travel time. This was where we met for the Mercedes G63 AMG media launch. Much like the hotel this car is perfect for when you want to escape the city and go to a remote location to just unwind and let go.

The location and the car are richly packed in heritage and history which made the connection with the car even more special. The Cradle of Humankind is known as the world richest hominin site and is also a world heritage site. The Mercedes G-Class on the other had has its own history as it was once used as a military vehicle until a civilian model was made available in 1979. Since then, the G-Class has evolved to what we see now in the AMG G63. The beauty of this vehicle is that since 1979 the car has maintained its true unique box like shape, and with this model, the biggest changes experienced/noticeable are the drivability, technology and comfort.

 

Just by looking at the car you can already see that Mercedes didn’t hold back on how the car exudes style, class and power. However, the best thing about G63 was how it drove, I mean the vehicle is big, but it still handled like a small car and you just feel the comfort at all times. On the highway, it’s super comfortable and would be the perfect car to use to go back to the homelands when encountering those annoying gravel roads. During my time in the driver’s seat I just couldn’t help but smile and grin the whole time. The cockpit has been given a much-needed transformation, the speedometer has been digitized therefore showing more information about the car, unfortunately the center screen is not touch screen but the voice assistance definitely makes up for that. It was also great to notice that you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how to connect the Bluetooth and to operate the satnav. However, I was disappointed with how the satnav was inaccurate in most places because if we didn’t know the area we would have been lost. Perhaps this is something a software update can take care of. The seats are uber luxurious and my favourite colour is the one with the chocolate brown and black trimming. The roof is covered in sued, the door panels and cockpit have a glossy carbon fiber feel to them that’s done so tastefully and adds to the aesthetics of the car.

The second day of the media launch I was able to take the G63 on the highway. Here I got to really experience great pleasure of driving the car in comparison to its predecessor. With a 4.0 liter V8 biturbo engine that generates 430kW, the car definitely packs a nice punch when in sports and sports plus mode. In the same light, even with its big engine, the G63 is quite fuel efficient with a claimed combined fuel consumption: 13.1 l/100 km. Even with all this power, this car is more about style and making a statement. With full capability of going off road, the G63 sashayed through gravel roads as we maneuvered our way to and from Kevin Richardson’s wildlife sanctuary.

The AMG is really a special car that has been massively upgraded to adapt to modern times with the big introduction of technology. The considerable improvement on the suspension that still allows for the ultimate off-road experience (I don’t think one would take this one off road completely though). The new Mercedes AMG G63 has really been upgraded considerably in just the right way and allows the driver and passengers to be submerged in its greatness.

Tshegofatso Mahlatji