This G Class upgrade in Dubai started with a clear brief: make a 2022 Mercedes-AMG G63 feel like a Brabus-style build, without a full body conversion. The owner had already sourced work from other shops around the city, and the results were inconsistent — some parts fitted well, others didn’t. What he wanted from us was the rest of the list, done properly.
We completed five upgrades on this G-Class: a roof-mounted instrument cluster finished in matching Alcantara, a Brabus-style exhaust with illuminated tips, a W465-style touchpad conversion for the centre console, a Brabus-style front bumper lip, and an OEM Mercedes headrest monitor. Total cost: AED 24,900.
That figure matters. A full Brabus-style conversion in Dubai typically runs between AED 70,000 and AED 150,000. This build proves you don’t always need one. Here’s exactly what we did, what each part cost, and why fitment is the only thing that separates a proper upgrade from an expensive mistake.
The Vehicle: 2022 Mercedes-AMG G63 (W463A)
The car is a 2022 Mercedes-AMG G63, built on the W463A generation and powered by the M177 4.0-litre biturbo V8. Inside, it runs MBUX on the NTG6 platform, and it left the factory with a sliding sunroof — a detail that turned out to matter for one of the upgrades.
When it reached us, the exterior work was already done. A carbon bonnet, Brabus-design grille and wheels had been fitted elsewhere, and the cabin had been retrimmed in orange leather and Alcantara by another workshop. Our brief covered five specific items the owner still wanted completed.
W463, W463A, W464, W465 — What the Codes Actually Mean
Mercedes uses four chassis codes for the G-Class, and the aftermarket regularly mixes them up. W463 covers the first generation, built from 1990 to 2017. W463A is the second generation, produced from 2018 to 2024 — this car. W465 is the facelift introduced for 2025, and W461 is the military variant.
There is no separate factory code for a civilian W464. The term appears constantly in parts catalogues and body kit listings, where it is used loosely to mean “the new-shape G-Class.” If you are buying parts, this matters: a listing marked W464 will usually fit a W463A, but always confirm the production years rather than the code.
The Challenge: Five Upgrades, Three Different Suppliers
The parts did not arrive as one kit. Each of the five upgrades came from a different source, ordered by the owner over several months, and none of them were made to work together. That is the normal situation with G-Class builds in Dubai: owners buy parts as they find them, then look for a workshop willing to make the collection fit.
Two problems came with that. First, fitment. A roof console and a centre console panel are shaped for specific trim, and the cabin had already been retrimmed by another workshop, so nothing could be assumed. Second, electronics. The roof cluster and the touchpad both needed to read live vehicle data, which meant connecting to the car’s CAN network rather than simply bolting parts on.
The owner’s condition was straightforward: everything had to work, and nothing was to be cut. No spliced wiring, no drilled panels, no warning lights on the dashboard. Every connection had to be reversible.
The Five Upgrades
Here is what we fitted, in order of cost. Every price below is what the owner paid us for installation and integration, with parts supplied by him. Prices are quoted in UAE dirhams and reflect this specific build.
1. Roof Instrument Cluster — AED 10,000
A roof instrument cluster is a pair of analogue-style gauges mounted in the headliner above the windscreen, showing speed and time. It is one of the signature details of a Brabus-style G-Class cabin, and it is the most involved of the five upgrades — both to fit and to wire.
The unit only fits G-Class models with a factory sliding sunroof. The console sits in the headliner directly in front of the sunroof aperture, and without that opening there is no clearance for the housing. This car had the sunroof, so it was possible.
The housing arrives as a bare shell. Before it could go in, it had to be trimmed to match the cabin — in this case, orange Alcantara cut and stitched to match the headliner the car already had. The shell was test-fitted to the roof first, then trimmed, then fitted permanently.
Wiring was the part that mattered most. The gauges read live speed data from the vehicle, which means a connection to the CAN gateway. We tapped into the existing gateway connector behind the trim — plug-in only, with no cutting, splicing or modification to the factory loom. If the console is ever removed, the car returns to standard with nothing to repair.
2. Brabus-Style Exhaust with Illuminated Tips — AED 4,500
This upgrade replaces the factory exhaust tips with Brabus-design carbon tips containing integrated LED lighting. The lights run on the car’s 12V supply and glow red when active, making the quad-outlet side exit visible at night.
It is important to be clear about what this does and does not change. The exhaust system itself — manifolds, catalytic converters, mid-pipes and silencers — was left completely standard. Only the visible tips were replaced. Engine output, exhaust note and emissions are unchanged, which keeps the car compliant for registration and leaves the factory warranty position on the powertrain untouched.
Fitting is mechanical: the original tips come off, the new carbon tips clamp on, and a switched 12V feed is run to the LED units. The tips are stainless-backed and heat-rated for exhaust gas temperatures, which matters more in Dubai than most places — a poorly made tip will discolour or warp within a season here.
3. W465-Style Touchpad Conversion — AED 3,600
This upgrade replaces the W463A rotary controller with the flat touchpad panel used in the 2025 W465 G-Class. It is the one change on this car that makes the cabin read as a newer generation, because the centre console is what you look at and touch on every journey.
The 2022 G63 left the factory with a round rotary dial surrounded by shortcut buttons, with a small touch surface on top. The W465 dropped the dial entirely. In its place is a wide flat touchpad flanked by two rocker switches, set into a single continuous panel. The version fitted here came with a carbon fibre finish.
The panel connects to the existing MBUX system through the original console connector. No changes were made to the vehicle’s wiring, and all functions carried over: volume, dynamic select, camera view, low range, off-road modes and the parking sensors. Because the car already ran NTG6, the system recognised the new input device without recoding.
The work is in the fitment, not the electronics. The console aperture on a W463A differs slightly from a W465, so the panel has to sit flush against surrounding trim with no gaps and no flex when pressed. On a cabin that has already been retrimmed, that tolerance is tighter still.
4. Brabus-Style Front Bumper Lip — AED 3,300
A front lip is a carbon spoiler that mounts to the lower edge of the front bumper, extending the car’s face forward and downward. In the Gulf it is often called a “lehya” — Arabic for beard — because of how it sits under the bumper like one. It is the most visible exterior change on this build and the one people notice first.
Fitment is where most lips go wrong. The part has to follow the bumper’s curve exactly along its full width, sit level from side to side, and leave consistent gaps at both ends. A lip that is even slightly off looks worse than no lip at all, and on a black car every misalignment catches the light.
We dry-fitted the lip first, marked the mounting points, and secured it to the bumper’s existing fixing locations. No holes were drilled into the bumper itself. Ground clearance was checked afterwards, which matters in Dubai where parking ramps and speed bumps will find a low lip quickly.
5. OEM Mercedes Headrest Monitor — AED 3,500
The last item was a rear-seat entertainment screen mounted to the front headrest, finished in the Mercedes OEM design so it boots with the Mercedes-Benz logo and matches the cabin rather than looking like an aftermarket tablet. This is a job we have done before on the same generation of G-Class.
The screen mounts to the existing headrest posts and runs on its own power feed. We covered the full installation process, screen specification and options in a separate article: [2025 Mercedes G63 OEM Headrest Monitor Installation in Dubai].
The Upgrade We Didn’t Do — and Why
A sixth item was on the original list: a Brabus-design steering wheel, quoted at AED 4,800. It was cancelled before the work started, and the reason is worth explaining because it comes up often.
The wheel already fitted to the car carried AMG badging. Replacing it with a Brabus-design wheel meant ordering the correct part rather than modifying the existing one, and the lead time was ten days. The owner needed the car back sooner than that, so we removed the item rather than rush it or substitute something that would not have matched the rest of the build.
That is the trade-off with a build like this. Some parts are held locally in Dubai and can be fitted the same week. Others have to be ordered, and no workshop can compress a shipping schedule. If a specific deadline matters, the ordering conversation needs to happen weeks before the car comes in.
Technical Summary
| Item | Detail |
| Vehicle | 2022 Mercedes-AMG G63 |
| Generation | W463A (2018–2024) |
| Engine | M177 4.0L biturbo V8 |
| Infotainment | MBUX, NTG6 |
| Roof instrument cluster | Alcantara-trimmed, CAN gateway connection — AED 10,000 |
| Exhaust tips | Brabus-design carbon, integrated LED — AED 4,500 |
| Centre console | W465-style touchpad, carbon finish — AED 3,600 |
| Headrest monitor | OEM Mercedes design — AED 3,500 |
| Front bumper lip | Brabus-design carbon — AED 3,300 |
Prices reflect installation and integration for this specific vehicle, with parts supplied by the owner. Costs vary with the parts sourced, the condition of the cabin trim and the model year.
Inside the Process
The car was with us for four days. Most of that time went to the roof instrument cluster, because it was the only item that required trimming, test-fitting and electrical integration rather than a straight swap.
We started by dry-fitting the bare console shell to the headliner to confirm clearance against the sunroof frame. Only once the position was confirmed did the shell go for trimming, where the Alcantara was cut and stitched to match the existing headliner. It was fitted permanently after that, then the CAN connection was made and the gauges tested against the car’s own speedometer.
The touchpad and exhaust tips were fitted in parallel. The front lip was dry-fitted, checked for alignment on both sides, then secured. The headrest monitor went in last.
Before handover, every function was checked: roof gauges reading correctly, touchpad controlling volume, camera, dynamic select and low range, LED tips switching with the car, and no fault codes stored. The work was carried out by our interior team under Zainab.
The Result
The G63 left with the presence the owner wanted and none of the compromises that usually come with parts sourced from five different places. Everything works, nothing was cut, and the car can be returned to standard if it is ever sold on.
- ✓ Roof instrument cluster reading live vehicle data, trimmed to match the cabin
- ✓ Brabus-style carbon exhaust tips with working LED lighting
- ✓ W465-generation touchpad on a 2022 centre console
- ✓ Brabus-style carbon front lip, aligned and level
- ✓ OEM-design headrest monitor for rear passengers
- ✓ No spliced wiring, no drilled panels, no fault codes
- ✓ Five upgrades for AED 24,900 — against AED 70,000 to 150,000 for a full conversion
Why Fitment Matters More Than the Parts
Anyone can buy a Brabus-style body kit. The parts are available online and shipped worldwide, often to Dubai directly. What separates a build that looks right from one that looks cheap is not the part number — it is whether the panel gaps are even, whether the trim matches, and whether the electronics work without warning lights.
This is why we dry-fit before committing, why we connect to factory connectors instead of cutting into looms, and why we test every function before a car leaves. If it doesn’t look OEM, we don’t install it.
Planning a G Class Upgrade in Dubai?
Whether you have parts already sitting in boxes or you are still deciding what to fit, our interior team can tell you what will work on your car before you order anything. We handle G-Class interiors, roof consoles, console conversions and custom trim across Dubai and the UAE. Every project starts with a conversation.
Related Services
More G-Class Projects
- Mercedes G63 W463 to W464 Interior Conversion in Dubai
- 2022 Mercedes G63 Wireless CarPlay & Android Screen Upgrade
- 2025 Mercedes G63 OEM Headrest Monitor Installation
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a roof instrument cluster be fitted to any G-Class?
No. The console only fits G-Class models with a factory sliding sunroof, because it mounts in the headliner directly in front of the sunroof aperture. Without that opening there is no clearance for the housing. Check whether your car has the sunroof before ordering the part.
Can the 2025 W465 touchpad be installed on an older G-Class?
Yes, on a W463A running MBUX with NTG6. The W465-style panel connects through the original centre console connector, and all functions — volume, dynamic select, camera view, low range and off-road modes — carry over without recoding or wiring changes.
Do illuminated exhaust tips change the sound or performance?
No. Only the visible tips are replaced. The manifolds, catalytic converters, mid-pipes and silencers stay standard, so engine output, exhaust note and emissions are unchanged. The LEDs run on a 12V feed and are purely cosmetic.
What is the difference between W463, W463A, W464 and W465?
W463 is the first-generation G-Class built from 1990 to 2017. W463A is the second generation, 2018 to 2024. W465 is the 2025 facelift, and W461 is the military variant. There is no separate factory code for a civilian W464 — the term is used loosely in parts catalogues to mean the new-shape G-Class.
How much does a Brabus-style G-Class upgrade cost in Dubai?
A full Brabus-style conversion in Dubai typically runs between AED 70,000 and AED 150,000. Individual upgrades cost far less. This build totalled AED 24,900 for five items, with the roof instrument cluster at AED 10,000 and the front bumper lip at AED 3,300. Pricing depends on the parts sourced and the condition of the existing trim.