Mercedes-AMG G 65 - Misplaced Pages

Sports utility vehicle

The Mercedes-AMG G 65 (previously sold as Mercedes-Benz G 65 AMG) is a V12 engined (with twin turbochargers) version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. The vehicle was sold in the 2010s and was one of the few vehicles at the time in the high-performance off road luxury market. The V-12 offered more power and smoother power compared to supercharged V-8 models in the Mercedes options at that time. The design was demonstrated in 2012, testing V-12 in this chassis and entered series production later. It was sold in 2013 in the EU and 2015 in the US, until the 2018 model year.

Overview

The G 65 was a version of the G-class with a luxury interior and a twin-turbo charged V-12 engine. The vehicle weighs 6,250-pound (2,835 kg) (US model as estimated by an automotive magazine publication) and has 603 hp going into a seven-speed transmission as of 2016. In the United States it cost US$224,000 in the year 2016, another source says it cost US$218,000. It was noted as being cheaper than a previous limited production run of Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 (old-style name) from 2013. (note in this period of the 2010s, transition AMG vehicles from Mercedes-Benz to Mercedes-AMG branding. The US Version was previewed at the New York Auto Show in the spring of 2015 as a Mercedes-AMG model.

The basic model was introduced in Europe in 2012 and in 2015 was introduced in the United States as a Mercedes-AMG brand model. Prior to its US launch, Daimler experienced sales of over 3000 G-class vehicles of which about half were the AMG specification version. The car tuner Brabus also made a version of the G65.

The 2016 model was noted as mix of old, high-performance, and off-road ability, with it being less luxury focused then a contemporary like the Bentley Bragata, but more expensive than the super-charged Range Rover (100+k) or a Jeep with all options topped out.

The last year was 2018, with the "Final Edition" being the last models. 65 models of the Final Edition were produced, and it featured bronze coloured 21 inch wheels, and also had a higher price tag. The G 65 was at the top end of the range, which for example in Canada included the G550, G550 4x4 (portal axle), and G 63 (supercharged V8).

Mercedes-AMG is a brand of Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz, Unimog, AMG, and Smart).

The 2018 model for the USA has the AMG bi-turbocharger V-12 producing 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft (US units). This is connected to a 7-speed transmission and full-time four wheel drive drivetrain. The G65 is more oriented towards urban driving, with low-profile tires and a 0-60 mph (96.56 km/h) time of 5.1 seconds making it fastest of MB G-Class models offered then.

In contrast to the G63 in the MB product line, the 65 used a twin-turbocharged V-12, rather than a super-charged V-8. Automotive journalists noted that the G65, despite being more expensive than that model was actually less ostentatious and the V-12 produced smoother more refined power then the supercharged V-8.

V-12 powered SUV are not very common, the first appeared in the 1980s such as the Lamborghini LM002, vehicles that combined the idea of off luxury roading with a V-12. By the 2020s Mercedes had left this market leaving the more luxury focused Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Ferrari Purosangue.