Earlier this year, Mr. Eberhard Kern, Managing Director and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, told Indian Autos Blog that the company will focus on AMG editions of SUVs. After having launched the Mercedes GL63 AMG two weeks ago, Mercedes India have announced that they will launch the ML63 AMG on May 15.
The faster cousin of the ML Class is powered by a 5.5-liter V8 Bi-Turbo engine producing 525 hp and 700 Nm of torque. With an optional AMG performance package, power and torque figures are increased to 557 hp and 760 Nm respectively. The result is that the ML 63 can run from 0-100 km/h in a scant 4.8 seconds (4.7 seconds with the optional AMG performance pack), while the top-speed is restricted to 250 km/h.
The performance SUV uses an AMG SPEEDSHIFT PLUS 7-speed gearbox which sends power to all four wheels using Mercedes's 4MATIC system. While 40 percent of the power is sent to the front wheels, 60 percent is reserved for the rear wheels. In the European driving tests, the ML63 claims a fuel efficiency of 8.47 km/l with CO2 emissions at 276 g/km.
The ML63 AMG will be brought into the country as a CBU (Completely Built-up Unit) and will be positioned below the recently launched GL63 AMG. At the moment, there is no competition for the ML63 in India. The Porsche Macan Turbo, due for an Indian launch in July, will be the closest competitor to the ML 63 AMG.
