On
April 15, 2014, there would be another powerful brute added to the German
stable of Mercedes-Benz India. Yes, the luxurious and powerful GL63 AMG will be
launched in Mumbai, India. The vehicle, one recalls, was launched globally at the Moscow
International Automobile Salon 2012. The luxury-off roader celebrated its world
premiere in Moscow in August 2012.
At
the time the caw was priced at Euros 109,500 without VAT in Germany. That
translates to approximately Rs 9 lakh or so. The car will definitely be
imported as a CBU and will attract import duty. The landed cost of the vehicle
could be in the range of Rs 1.5 crore plus, unless the Germans cuts some of its
existing frills make the car cheaper.
The
high-performance SUV is powered by the AMG 5.5-litre (5461cc) V8 biturbo engine, which develops a peak power of around 557bhp and maximum
torque of 760 Nm. The AMG Ride Control sports suspension with Active Curve
System roll stabilisation provides high-level driving dynamics and the comfort
one would expect from the Mercedes brand, said a company statement when the car
was unveiled in Moscow.
The
car was in 2012 unveiled by Ola Källenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, who
came to Moscow to celebrate the world premiere of the GL 63 AMG. The GL 63 AMG
manages the 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 4.9 seconds and its top speed is 250 km/h
(electronically limited). The AMG M 157
eight-cylinder engine features an innovative, high-tech power package including
spray-guided direct petrol injection, piezo injectors, biturbo charging,
air/water inter-cooling, all-aluminium crankcase, a four-valve-per-cylinder
design with variable camshaft adjustment, plus alternator management and the
ECO start/stop system.
Power
is transmitted to all four permanently driven wheels by the AMG Speedshift Plus
7G-Tronic. Featuring three modes and an automatic double-declutching function
for downshifting, this seven-speed automatic transmission offers a
fascinatingly broad scope of variability. In "Controlled Efficiency"
(C) mode the ECO start/stop function is active, shutting down the
eight-cylinder engine as soon as the vehicle comes to a standstill.
"C" also stands for a gentle accelerator and transmission
characteristic with early gear changes; start-up generally takes place in
second gear here. A green "ECO" symbol in the AMG instrument cluster
indicates to the driver that the ECO start/stop function is active.
In
the Sport (S) and Manual (M) driving programmes the ECO start/stop function is
inactive and the engine-transmission combination displays far greater agility
with more spontaneous responses. A brief and exactly defined retardation of
ignition and injection during upshifting at full load additionally provides for
shorter shift times and an acoustic experience.
Uber
rich Indians can look forward to some real off-roading while enjoying the
luxury of an S Class!
Picture courtesy Diamler