MERCEDES-BENZ – G63 2023

Originally conceived as a military off-road vehicle in the ’70s, the original G-Class’ iconic profile endeared it to the public in a way the Humvee did and kept it going well past its sell-by date. Unlike the Defender, Mercedes didn’t modernize the shape when it redesigned the SUV for a second generation. In fact, it looks so much like the old one that nobody except Anoraks even noticed. It’s still a box on wheels but thoroughly overhauled under the skin and is now fit for daily duty, with a level of usability and comfort the old one lacked. In the USA, only two gas trims are sold, and the G63 is the high-performance AMG-fettled version loved by pop stars and celebrities that never put a wheel off the tarmac, so the car’s amazing off-road ability is lost on them. The twin-turbo V8 packs a hefty 577 horsepower, though, so it’s certainly a very quick box on wheels. What alternatives do you even have to such a performance-focused off-road SUV? The aforementioned Land Rover Defender in V8 guise, perhaps, and maybe even the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 or the Ford Bronco Raptor. The AMG G63 costs way more than these rivals, though, so is it worth all that money?