The roar of a V8 engine from this sporty Merc SUV may be a thing of the past, but in its place is the most powerful series-produced four-cylinder engine in the world. This Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance Coupé plug-in hybrid incorporates technologies proven in the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s Formula 1 hybrid racing cars.
Under the bonnet of this Obsidian Black Coupé SUV is a handcrafted in Affalterbach, 2.0 litre, in-line 4-cylinder, Garrett turbocharged petrol engine combined with a permanently excited synchronous electric motor and a high-performance battery. The combined system output is 500 kW and the maximum system torque is 1,020 Nm. This enables some seriously impressive performance with 0 to 100 km/h taking just 3.5 seconds and only ends at an electronically governed 275 km/h. At idle it actually sounds like a Boxer engine and in the performance modes under hard acceleration there’s pops and barks from the exhaust, but it’s nowhere near as emotive as the V8 version that it replaces.
On its own the F1-inspired lithium-ion energy storage system produces 80 kW of continuous power and 150 kW peak power for ten seconds by the driver calling it up by kick-down, engaged when you push the accelerator pedal hard to floor to power out of corners or to overtake quickly. The electric power can always be called on and frequently reproduced via high recuperation performance during braking. This GLC has the black standard 21-Inch AMG cross-spoke forged wheels and the optional AMG high-performance ceramic composite braking system ($8,300), for equally impressive stopping power.
Charging of the battery can also be undertaken using the 3.7 kW on-board charger with alternating current at a charging station, wallbox or household socket. The battery is designed for fast power delivery and draw, not for the longest possible range. Nevertheless, the electric range of 12kms and the GLC starts in EV mode for a silent departure from your garage.
The fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive on the GLC has eight drive modes available that can be quickly access using the knob on the right-hand side of the steering wheel. These include Electric, Battery Hold, Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race, and Individual. Under the Individual mode you can adjust the Drive, Suspension, AMG Dynamics, ESC on/off, Gearbox between manual or auto, and the engine sound. The knob on the left-hand side of the steering wheel activates the AMG dynamics and turns the traction control on/off. There is no dedicated off-road mode, but you do get an off-road page that advises of things like inclination and yaw, something most owners will never use not least because the GLC is low for an SUV and the large side step hangs even lower.
Behind the steering wheel are aluminium gearshift paddles that allow you to rapidly change gears on the AMG SPEEDSHIFT 9-speed automatic transmission. I spent most of my time in Comfort mode and even then, the ride of the GLC was firm. The official combined fuel consumption is 7.5L/100 and for my week driving the GLC, I used 12.2L/100km of 98RON. For the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance that I have previously driven, which has the same engine, I used two litres more per 100km, but I was driving the sedan much harder than this SUV.
The GLC cabin is dominated by the large portrait infotainment screen, the digital driver’s dash and a head-up display that was too large and took up a wide view directly in front of where the driver should be looking at the road, thankfully you can turn it off. You can use the annoying touch controls on the steering wheel for navigating the driver’s dash and the infotainment screen. Or alternatively you can also use the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice control and this worked well for changing the radio station, but was not up to Merc standard for setting a destination on the sat nav, and was subpar for making phone calls.
I’m not keen on the gloss black plastic that used on the centre console as it quickly becomes dusty and gets bad finger marks on it. Under the sliding gloss black cover over the console there are two cup holders with one USB-C port and a wireless phone charger for compatible devices located here, with another two USB-C ports under the split fold arm rest. There’s one 12V socket in the passenger footwell and good-sized pockets in the front door cubbies.
The MBUX infotainment system includes various AMG-specific displays and functions with wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the latter worked well for me. The futuristic UI combined with the extensive use of ambient lighting in the cabin, and design elements like the floating arm rests gives the cabin a very modern feel. Media sources include Bluetooth, Smartphone, Online music, USB, AM radio, FM/DAB+, and TuneIn that plays through the high-end Burmester surround-sound system.
The GLC comes standard with the integrated AMG Track Pace app, the data logger for use on the racetrack. The software records more than 80 vehicle-specific data such as speed, acceleration and steering angle ten times per second while driving around a race track. Also informative are the display of lap and sector times as well as additional training and analysis tools.
My GLC was fitted with the Performance Ergonomic Package ($6,900) that adds AMG Performance steering wheel in Nappa leather, Microcut microfibre, and AMG Performance multi-contour front seats. The passenger seat has adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height, and front leg extension using the touch controls located on the door and from the controls under an infotainment menu you can also adjust the lumbar and side bolster support using an onscreen method and there are three memory positions.
The only difference for the driver’s seat was it has seat height adjustment at the front and rear and you have the option for the vehicle to set your driving position based on your height. Unlike other cars that have this feature I was happy with the driving position the computer put me in, except I liked to sit a bit lower. The front seats are heated only and at this price point I would expect cooled seats to be standard as well.
I found there was a good amount of leg room in the rear seats, but head room was tight for me, so taller individuals would find it to be uncomfortable. For younger passengers there are two ISOfix/three rear tether child seat restraint points, but only really room for two car seats due to the contoured nature of the rear seats.
The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with two pup-out cup holders at the front of it and there are good sized drink bottle storage cubbies in the rear door. Rear passengers get two central air vents with individual direction and on/off controls, but there are no separate climate controls for rear seat passengers or USB ports.
The GLC has a gesture open/close tailgate or can be opened by pushing the Merc emblem on back. You can also open and close the tailgate from the key fob and using a button in the cabin. The boot is shallow, but goes quite far back so that it was even a reach for me to grab something out of it. The boot space has four substantial tie down points, two hooks, one light and one 12V socket with a mat that goes completely over the boot floor and there’s a tyre repair kit under the boot floor. If more space is required the rear sears have a 40:20:40 split folding mechanism with a release button in the boot or on the shoulder of the rear seats. The seats need to be manually folded back up and if you want the centre seat folded down only you have to release this separately.
Dual frontal, side chest-protecting and side head-protecting (curtain) airbags, as well as a driver knee airbag, are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard. Active driver aids fitted as standard include adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, autonomous emergency braking (Car-to-Car, Vulnerable Road User, Junction Assist and Backover) as well as a lane support system with lane keep assist, lane departure warning and emergency lane keeping. For convenience you get auto lights with auto high beam, auto wipers and a 360-degree view camera in conjunction with a number of other camera views and 360-degree parking sensors.
All new Mercedes-Benz vehicles come with a 5 year/unlimited kilometre warranty and this includes 24/7 roadside and accident assistance. The service interval for the GLC 63 S E Performance is one year/20,000km and an upfront five service plan can be purchased for $7,180. Mercedes-Benz Australia are currently offering a complimentary 3-year service plan for vehicles ordered between 1 January – 28 February 2025 and delivered by 31 March 2025 (conditions apply).
Pricing for the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance Coupé starts at $198,415 plus dealer delivery and on-road costs. The Obsidian Black Metallic paint and AMG Nappa Leather are no cost options and as tested with the AMG high-performance ceramic composite braking system ($8,300) and the Performance Ergonomic Package ($6,900) this GLC Coupé was $213,615 plus the extra costs. The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance Coupé is now available for immediate delivery with 27 examples listed, as at the time of writing this, on the Mercedes-Benz Australia website, or you can visit your preferred Mercedes-Benz retailer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| The rapid acceleration | Lacks aural enjoyment |
| The battery recuperation technology | The large head-up display |
| The cabin ambience | No rear air vents |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.