It’s safe to say that the Mercedes-AMG G63, for all of its rough-riding prowess, is a car that isn’t for everyone. But don’t tell that to G-Power, which took the time to prepare a tuning program for the Silver Arrows’ resident off-road menace. The kit is what you’d expect out of the German tuner. It doesn’t go overboard in messing with the G63's unmistakable appearance, opting instead to take the subtle route by fitting a fresh set of new and admittedly awesome-looking wheels and modifying its 5.5-liter, twin-turbo, V-8 engine to an improved output of 645 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque.

The whole program isn’t visually jarring, but it is effective in adding an extra layer of menace to the G63. The all-black wheels work well with the SUV’s yellow body paint and the chrome grille, and side bars serve as a nice visual complement. The power upgrades aren’t much compared to what other tuners have achieved, but it should be enough to get the desired off-road results for a vehicle that has trampled its fair share of twigs and branches in the last 37 years.

Oh, and as an aside, If Bumblebee ever decided to ditch the Chevrolet Camaro as his choice car, wouldn’t he look really good in a G-Power-tuned Mercedes-AMG G63? At the very least, it should make for an interesting robot transformation.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

Exterior

It’s a testament to the iconic look of the AMG G63 that tuners like G-Power opt to keep the SUV’s exterior as standard as possible. The same holds true with G-Power, which counts a new set of 23-inch Hurricane RR forged alloy wheels as the only exterior upgrade included in the program.

Drivetrain

The main aspect of G-Power’s program for the AMG G63 is its Bi-Tronik 5 V1 power module. The predominant software upgrade helps in modifying data from the SUV’s sensors, which in turn is sent to the engine control unit where the increase in power takes place. As a result, the power module is able to add 74 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque to the V-8, increasing the total output to 645 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The additional power helps the AMG G63 improve its sprint time to 62 mph to just 5.3 seconds to go with a top speed in excess of 155 mph.

Pricing

Since the program is a simple two-step upgrade involving the new wheels and the Bi-Tronik engine module, the total price for this new program amounts to €14,187. That converts to about $15,854 based at current exchange rates. A breakdown of the price reveals that the set of Hurricane RR forged alloy wheels costs €8,391 ($9,400) while the Bi-Tronik module costs €5,796 ($6,480).

Competition

Mercedes-AMG G63 G700 Widestar by Brabus

You’d be surprised at how many tuners have built programs for the AMG G63. Just last April, Brabus developed its own kit for the G63, which featured the B 63S 700 kit. The kit is made up of many modifications, including a pair of Brabus-built turbochargers, each coming with a larger compressor unit, new downpipes, low back pressure metal catalysts, and a modification of the 5.5-liter bi-turbo V8’s ECU unit. The result is an output of 690 horsepower and 960 pound-feet of torque, enough to propel the AMG G63 from a standstill position to 62 mph in just 4.9 seconds to go with a top speed of around 149 mph.

Read the full review here.

Mercedes-AMG G63 by Edo Competition

This program dates back to 2014 but it’s still worth mentioning because it came from Edo Competition, the same tuner that gave the world the Ferrari Enzo ZXX. For the AMG G63, the tuner opted for a list of enhancements that include a sports exhaust system, sports catalysts, and modifications to the SUV’s ECU unit and Vmax limiter. The result is an output of 592 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque, enough to allow the SUV to drop its 0-to-60-mph sprint time to 4.6 seconds in addition to a new top speed of 140 mph.

Read the full review here.

Conclusion

I know some owners of the AMG G63 who have been clamoring for an aftermarket program for their SUVs. While there have been some developed in the past, G-Power’s program offers the kind of upgrades that will appeal to owners. It doesn’t do anything in changing the G63’s appearance, which is one of those rare occurrences that benefits the car. The new wheels are a nice addition while the engine upgrades provide enough of an improvement to make a noticeable difference when the SUV hits its stride off-road.