Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance 2024 Review

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC S E Performance 4MATIC+ is priced at $191,814 before on-road costs (ORCs). That’s an increase of about $5300 compared to the final V8-powered versions of the previous generation.

If a swoopy roofline is more your style, then the GLC 63 S E Performance Coupe will be your jam at $198,415 before ORCs.

A familiar competitor would have been the BMW X3 M. However, a direct successor to the current version remains uncertain.

That leaves the $162,700 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio to do battle with the Merc in the performance medium SUV segment.

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance is the halo variant of the range, so it comes loaded with equipment inside and out. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to this reviewer the SUV body style tested has the more cohesive aesthetic compared to the five-door coupe version.

The AMG treatment comprises vertical front slats in the grille, large lower intakes, air curtains, LED head and tail-lights, 21-inch alloy wheels, quad trapezoidal tailpipes and a black accent pack.

Inside you’re treated to electronically adjustable and heated AMG sport seats adorned in Nappa leather, MICROCUT microfibre AMG steering wheel, a panoramic glass sunroof, powered tailgate and dual-zone climate control (with rear air vents).

The GLC 63 S E Performance is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery exceeds that with a six-year/100,000km plan. Servicing is every 12 months or 20,000km.

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance features the marque’s Pre-Safe system as well as a full complement of nine airbags.

Highlights of the comprehensive active safety suite include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, active lane assist, traffic light recognition, adaptive high beam assist, and 360-degree camera as well as parking assist and sensors.

On the open road the tech works well, especially the calibration for the lane keeping. The adaptive cruise control can also launch the GLC 63 when the car in front moves forward in stop/start traffic. However, speed is reduced a little too much while cornering on a country road.

While the GLC 300 brings a five-star ANCAP safety score, the GLC 63 S E Performance is unrated Down Under. However, it did acquire the full tally of stars in Euro NCAP testing.

The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance is a tech tour de force – both under the bonnet and in the cabin.

Two large screens dominate the dash. The portrait-style infotainment system measures 11.9 inches and the digital instrument cluster is 12.3 inches, and a detailed head-up display enhances the driving experience.

There’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you don’t fancy using the native MBUX system – a feature that also accepts voice commands to perform various tasks. DAB+ digital radio and Bluetooth connectivity are included and all audio plays through the high-end Burmester surround-sound system.

A wireless charge pad lives ahead of the cup holders in the centre console while there are three USB-C ports (no USB-A) up front, but none in the rear.

After an acclimatisation period, overall functionality is high. The central touch-screen display is responsive and houses the HVAC controls as well as dedicated AMG extras like the Track Pace data logging feature.

Numerous menus and displays to showcase the hybrid and performance-orientated tech offer extra detail for the enthusiast. A ‘Supersport’ theme for the instrument cluster has also been added.

While this used to be a straightforward answer, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance 4MATIC+ is about as complex to comprehend as the nomenclature is in full. And yes, this plug-in hybrid certainly isn’t the M179 twin-turbo V8 of old.

In its place is the M139L (the L signifying the longitudinal layout) four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, the same unit used in the C63. On its own the 2.0-litre unit produces an incredible 350kW and 545Nm, making it the most powerful series-production four-cylinder in the world.

The heavily boosted four-pot gains assistance from the rear-axle-mounted, permanently excited synchronous e-motor that feeds off an AMG-developed 6.1kWh battery pack placed above it. Total electric assistance comes in at a significant 150kW/320Nm.

Combined figures for the F1-influenced powertrain come in at a staggering 500kW and 1020Nm, the latter number achieved by way of the two-speed transmission tied to the e-motor. It’s also worth noting that the e-motor offers a continuous 80kW, ramping up to the full 150kW of peak power for 10 seconds at a time.

Despite using a sizeable turbocharger, the four-cylinder engine is a lag-free affair with 48V electric assistance supplied directly to the turbine’s shaft, eliminating the need to wait for the exhaust gas to build. Combine the rather short initial gearing of the nine-speed wet-clutch transmission with the ultimate traction of the 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, and it’s no wonder the GLC 63 leaps off the line. It’s easy to hit the limiter in first gear.

Launch-control engaged, the super SUV will crack 100km/h in just 3.5 seconds (with launch control) and go on to an electronically limited top speed of 275km/h. Just how ruthlessly effective it is at firing you towards the horizon despite the circa 2.4-tonne kerb weight is staggering.

While the numbers comfortably usurp the previous generation, the task of forgetting about the twin-turbo V8 of old is made harder by the new soundtrack. Yes, you can switch into the more aggro driving modes for an increased volume of sound, but the electrified four-pot doesn’t conjure quite the same aural pleasure.

You win some, you lose some…

While this isn’t something you’d traditionally mark as a concern for the typical buyer demographic of performance SUVs, fuel economy is the biggest benefactor from the wholesale changes.

While the outgoing beastie guzzled 12.2L/100km, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC63 AMG S E Performance sips 98 RON at a modest rate of 7.3L/100km.

Yet, there is a massive ‘but’ coming…

Due to the way such official figures are calculated, hopes of achieving that headline figure disappear when driving briskly. Hence, our consumption average hovered above 12.5L/100km for the duration of our week-long test.

EV-only range is a claimed 14km (when starting from a full charge), but that also proves hard to achieve. Charging capacity is capped at a low 3.7kWh and can be completed at home or via a dedicated station. It’s key to note that the on-board hybrid system never allows the battery to be fully depleted thanks to effective regeneration.

Still, the fact an SUV with such blistering pace can pootle around town without using a drop of fossil fuels for short periods adds an extra layer of bandwidth to the GLC 63 experience.

It’s important to remember that this new world order of hybrid performance isn’t just for fuel economy, but for decreased emissions, too. And on that front the big Merc officially reduces its tailpipe CO2 figure to 166g/km.

The 2355kg on-scale figure for the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance is hard to ignore. That’s HEAVY. However, it is truly remarkable how well the GLC 63 covers ground.

The competence isn’t just in a straight line. With rear-wheel steering, electro-mechanical body control and a 51:49 weight distribution, this thing corners, too.

The way in which the GLC faithfully points into an apex, rotates without heavy mid-corner porpoising and fires out the other side with unabated traction is remarkable. Laws of physics be damned, because it certainly defies them – no doubt consuming its brakes and Continental SportContact 7 tyres at a prodigious rate in that very act of defiance.

While the default torque split between the front and rear axle is 50:50, up to 100 per cent of the system’s output can be sent rearwards. In certain instances, electric assistance can also be sent forward to help with traction, meaning the electronic stability and traction controls interfere far less in the process.

Aiding lateral stability is the combination of active body control and the stiffer suspension set-up that offers a breadth of ability due to the driving modes (including Race). Sport is the acceptable middle ground, offering the best balance between overall compliance and agility.

Aussie roads are too harsh for Sport Plus while Comfort doesn’t have enough rebound finesse to control the overall heft when driving with intent. The general firmness to the ride quality reminds you that despite the dynamic wizardry at play, there’s a cost to pay somewhere.

The almost 2.4-tonne mass feels heftiest under brakes. Arresting the GLC 63’s rapid pace is a task for the large, ventilated discs with six-piston calipers up front, and single-piston floating calipers at the rear. While they are effective, the feel through the pedal is rather wooden, requiring more pressure than you expect.

To a point it’s hard not to feel like the GLC 63 is offering up a feat of engineering more than engrossing engagement – especially with the emotion of the old V8 removed.

However, that’s selling the outcome far too short, because this hypo SUV more than deserves its performance tagline. There’s a wealth of talent encased in a family-friendly SUV form factor. It isn’t quite a Mercedes-AMG A45 on stilts, but it comes damn close.

Inside, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance is a marriage of tech and luxury features.

The cabin is aesthetically pleasing and it comes to life at night with the mood lighting bathing the interior in the hue of your choice. The multi-function AMG steering wheel falls nicely to hand (with its dedicated driving mode screens proving useful) and you can sit appreciably low for a seating position unexpected in an SUV.

However, for the price of admission, there are too few touches to distinguish it from the ‘base model’ GLC 300. The test car also sported a few unwanted creaks and rattles, while tyre roar also enters the cabin – although, we’ll concede that, given the rear treads are wide 295-section items.

The seats look and feel special and hold you in place with heavy bolstering, but they lack plush comfort. And the backrest could use extra padding for longer journeys. Head and leg room is decent for all seated passengers; the panoramic sunroof lightens up the cabin and there are useful storage compartments to aid practicality.

Due to the position of the battery pack, boot space is reduced significantly to 390 litres with the 60:40 split-fold rear seats in place. That figure expands to 1335 litres with them stowed. The flat boot floor houses a puncture repair kit instead of a space-saver spare tyre.

Cue the violins, broken records and yet more opportunities to wax lyrical about the past. The old twin-turbo V8 was a musclebound aural delight, an experience the new version simply can’t match by ear. Yet, the next-generation powertrain obliterates it on almost every other metric.

The persona of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC63 AMG S E Performance has changed. It’s important to appreciate that the plug-in hybrid tech is mainly there to improve performance rather than to save fuel.

Yes, the new hybrid powertrain doesn’t pull at the heartstrings quite like it has in the past. However, discount the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance at your own peril.

The go-fast AMG side of the equation is, in many ways, even more impressive than before. It’s just a very different beast.

2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance at a glance:
Price:?$191,814 (plus on-road costs)
Available:?Now
Powertrain:?2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output:?350kW/545Nm (electric motor: 150kW/320Nm)
Combined output:?500kW/1020Nm
Transmission:?Nine-speed automatic
Battery:?6.1kWh lithium-ion (4.8kWh usable)
Range:?14km (ADR)
Energy consumption:?9.8kWh/100km (ADR)
Fuel:?7.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2:?166g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating:?Not tested

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