Mercedes-Benz GLC 63 AMG 2017 Review

Are you a closet sport sedan enthusiast frustrated by life as a children’s chauffeur service? Want to make the other parents sit up and take notice at soccer practice?

If so, Mercedes-AMG is about to introduce the family SUV of your dreams in the form of the monstrous GLC 63 S – but be warned…. This is not a vehicle for the faint-hearted!

Already the most popular SUV in the Mercedes-Benz line-up, the medium-size GLC has been updated by AMG which, not satisfied with shoehorning its excellent twin-turbocharged V6 engine under the bonnet of the GLC 43, had gone one better by stuffing in a twin-turbo V8.

Set to arrive in Australia by the middle of 2018, the all-wheel drive Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4MATIC+ will be available in both a traditional SUV and SUV coupé body style. Powered by the AMG hot house’s iconic twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, both GLC 63 Ss pack 375kW and a barnstorming 700Nm.

While pricing was announced earlier this year, Mercedes-AMG’s Australian arm is still fettling the final specifications and it is expected to add more premium features as standard fitment including 21-inch alloy wheels and tyres.

For the $165K-plus price-tag, buyers will be looking for a serious bit of kit. Our quick drive of the over-endowed midsized SUV suggests the GLC 63 S won’t disappoint.

First up, Mercedes-AMG designers have done a bang up job of giving the GLC 63 S a significantly more aggressive stance than its donor wagon.

There’s no mistaking the GLC 63 for a run-of-the-mill machine and it’s the first Mercedes vehicle outside of the AMG GT line-up to receive the snarling Panamericana grille. This clearly differentiates it from the rest of the SUV pack and gives instant recognition as an AMG.

Further exterior design changes include wide fenders and front splitter delivering a more dynamic stance. Available black forged or light alloy wheels finish off the package creating a striking counterpoint to the standard GLC.

On the interior, the rock star treatment continues with sports front seats, a sports steering wheel finished in Dinamico (like Alcantara) and the typical future-forward Mercedes cabin finished in leather. Several interior options are expected to be available, allowing customers to specify their vehicle to their own tastes.

The typical SUV ‘command’ driving position is retained. Sports front seats offer good lateral support for both driver and passenger but while this is a medium SUV, it does feel like you are driving a larger, and heavier vehicle.

The GLC 63 is 200kgs heavier that the standard 2.0-litre petrol GLC at a kerb weight of 1935kgs. The Coupé version is 10kgs more.

During our short spell driving on a combination of road surfaces, we weren’t able to make a full dynamic assessment of the uber SUV but we did observe that the GLC 63 S doesn’t feel quite in perfect balance like a conventional all-wheel drive. The front end feels heavy and with no passengers in the second row, it feels a little light in the rear end. This impacted on the feel of the GLC on the road.

That said, the adaptive air suspension and a sporty spring and damper set-up with continuously variable damping does a good job of evening out the ride and our first impression suggests that the GLC 63 S may not have as harsh a suspension tune as we’ve experienced in other AMG models. This was the case even with the vehicle rolling on skinny 21-inch rubber.

In addition to the V8 engine, the GLC 63’s chassis borrows extensively from the AMG parts bin.

The 4MATIC+ variable all-wheel drive system and nine-speed automatic transmission are both inherited from the E 63 4MATIC+ as is the multi-link rear axle set up which is intended to improve wheel control and increased stiffness.

An electronically controlled limited slip differential is said by Mercedes to contribute to improve traction.

Despite all of these systems, on a damp road on a tight right hand bend, just one third throttle input from my driving colleague was enough for the vehicle to slide, causing the electronic stability control to kick in. It was a surprise from an everyday manoeuvre made at a leisurely pace but it brought to mind the feeling that you get powering an empty rear-drive ute through a bend. It’s a reminder that this is a vehicle which is attempting to bend the laws of physics.

There’s no doubting the exhilarating performance of the GLC 63 S powertrain and it excels at all speeds. The 375kW engine is said to sprint from zero to 100km/h in just 3.8sec -- a figure to rival many sports cars. The responsive nine-speed Mercedes Speedshift automatic transmission delivers rapid gear changes right through the ratios to truly go-to-gaol terminal speeds.

Downshifts when paired with the signature sports exhaust resulted in what Mercedes calls a ‘highly emotive gearshift experience.’ I call it the ear-to-ear grin factor.

Indeed, the exhaust is pure theatre.

It flares on acceleration, blips on upshifts and pops on downshifts, encouraging a few extra clicks on the left hand paddle shifter at junctions or coming into roundabouts.

Unlike other performance exhaust systems that are ‘always on’, Mercedes-AMG offers respite as the exhaust flaps can be closed to reduce the noise delivering a more sedate experience at the touch of a button.

Like all Mercedes-AMG models, the GLC 63 S is also equipped with variable drive modes including comfort, sport, sport+ and track modes that change configuration of the air suspension, steering, engine mapping and, yes, exhaust note.

While our drive was just a short 100km preview, it’s clear this is neither an SUV for the uninitiated, nor is it as accessible as a point and squirt C 63 V-8 powered sedan or wagon.

In the city, where it will no doubt spend most of its time it will not challenge its driver, however, on the open road, where it needs to defy the laws of physics, it’s going to require a fair amount of car craft to pilot to full effect.

If it’s a sporty mid-size SUV that you’re after, then the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43, Audi SQ5 or likely the upcoming BMW X3 M40i will be more than enough performance for most drivers. Only serious performance buffs should consider this one.

2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S pricing and specifications:
Estimated price: $164,900 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre eight-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 375kW/700Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 244g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A