This comes from a somewhat bias writer who is absolutely in love with the Mercedes GLC. Yes, I love it. Yes, I think it is beautiful and yes, it’s the only Mercedes I would probably get since my editor said I am a diehard BMW fan. Of course in its standard form, the Mercedes GLC is available here in Malaysia in the GLC 250 4MATIC. It looks nice but besides that, there really isn’t much to shout about it. Enter, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Coupe. Yes, they had to make it look fugly as well.

Both these models are powered by an eight-cylinder biturbo engine. The is the AMG 4.0‑litre V8 engine with 476 hp and 510 hp in the GLC 63 S and GLC 63 S Coupé variants. It does the century sprint in just 3.8 seconds (4.0 seconds for the non-S models). The engine is mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9-speed transmission. Balancing the SUV are air spring suspensions with adaptive adjustable damping, AMG’s Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive with fully variable torque distribution, a rear-axle limited-slip differential and a high-performance braking system. It also sports a fierce looking AMG Panamericana grille, which was previously reserved for the AMG GT family. This new SUV offers all of the power of a sports car while offering creature comforts in the form of ample room for passengers and luggage, comprehensive array of safety equipment and superior traction, also in the wet or in wintry road conditions.

“For us, the new GLC 63 4MATIC+ is a quite special vehicle. It is no easy job designing an SUV to be highly sporty and dynamic while at the same time offering inherent extreme driving stability. This required us to put our heart and soul, along with our many years of SUV expertise, into the development of this vehicle. The result is an SUV that can be driven with high precision and agility and which, if required, is equally at home on a high-speed lap of the race track. With our V8 biturbo engine, we hold a decisive USP in the Performance market. What is more, with SUV and Coupé, we offer the widest choice in the segment. Also, the technical closeness to our sports cars is visually underlined by the Panamericana grille, which was previously reserved for our AMG GT models,” says Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.

Technical data at a glance

Here are the technical specs for the Coupe version.

The various select modes

The four AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive programs “Comfort”, “Sport”, “Sport Plus” and “Individual” allow the driver to extensively influence the characteristics of the GLC E 63 4MATIC+. This modifies key parameters, such as the response of engine, transmission, suspension, steering, ESP^® and all-wheel drive. Independently of the DYNAMIC SELECT drive programs, the driver has the option of pressing the “M” button to switch directly to manual mode, in which gearshifts are executed exclusively using the shift paddles on the steering wheel. The suspension settings can also be specially selected if required.

“Comfort” is the balanced drive program with a comfort-oriented suspension and steering set-up as well as a fuel-efficient powertrain configuration with early upshifts – including smooth gearshifts and a restrained engine sound. The ECO start/stop function and coasting function are activated. This is how it works: When the driver releases the accelerator in a speed range between 60 and 160 km/h, the clutch of the MCT transmission opens and the engine is decoupled from the powertrain. The electronics lower the engine speed to idle and driving resistance is reduced by the compression and friction forces of the engine on overrun.

The DYNAMIC SELECT “Sport” and “Sport Plus” drive programs are designed for high driving dynamics. This results from an agile accelerator pedal characteristic with direct set-up and emotively appealing gearshifts with shorter shift times and double-clutching function on downshifts. The increased idle speed in “Sport Plus” also enables especially fast pull-away and acceleration from rest.

The GLC 63 S 4MATIC+ has an additional “RACE” drive program, in which all the parameters are configured for maximum performance. With a total of five drive programs, the Performance SUV once again offers the widest choice in the segment.