INSANITY, GENIUS MEET IN SWEET, FAST GLC 63 S
This Mercedes-AMG powers up to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, writes Derek McNaughton.
STUTTGART, GERMANY While lots of luxury SUV and CUV makers tout their driver-assistance technologies or terrain-management capabilities, Mercedes and its AMG performance division continue to focus on the one thing that still matters and makes such a big difference to so many drivers: power.
Of course its newest version of the GLC SUV has all the latest technology and safety equipment, but what the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S has that most others don’t is raw, unadulterated speed. Warning: viewer discretion advised.
Able to crack 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, the mid-size SUV with the hand-built V8 engine (bearing the signature of the technician who assembled it) is Mercedes at its finest. It is wickedly fast, seriously sumptuous, and gorgeous to look at, with its wide Panamericana front grille borrowed from the Mercedes-AMG GT. The optional performance exhaust barks and bleats like a crazed ogre at every downshift.
In many ways, 3.8 seconds to 100 km/h is utter motoring madness. It’s faster than the bigger Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, and faster than a BMW X6 M, even though it competes more directly with the Porsche Macan Turbo and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. But don’t insanity and genius go hand in hand?
Available in traditional SUV trim or as a sleek fastback Coupe that still gets five doors but a raked roof and small spoiler, and only as “S” models in Canada, the GLC 63 S gets all its glorious gallop from a direct injection 4.0-litre V8. Nested with two turbos between its cylinder banks that shorten the air flow into the manifold, there is no turbo lag whatsoever, just a smoothness and richness of what an engine ought to sound like, both under the hood and exiting the quad pipes in back.
It is a big step up from the previously released AMG GLC 43 that has two fewer cylinders but is nevertheless powerful in its own right.
While this AMG will no doubt perform ably at a race track with its electronic, limited-slip rear differential — evidenced by its roadholding tenacity in the twisting hills around Stuttgart, Germany, where the SUV arced across brilliantly smooth country roads with a feeling of superiority and comfort — it should do equally well in the wet and snowy confines of Canada.
AMG’s performance 4Matic+ automatically varies torque distribution to the front and back depending on traction, able to split the torque 50-50, but normally sending most to the rear wheels.
It will also let you do fourwheel drifts on dry pavement when traction control is shut off. We know, because exiting corners too quickly allowed all four wheels to find some freedom, even with 265/45 ZR 20 front tires and 295/40s in the rear. That’s no fault of the AMG nine-speed transmission that shifts brilliantly, but rather the engine’s volcano of torque, all 516 pound-feet pouring out as early as 1,750 rpm, with peak horsepower reaching 503. Acceleration is fierce off the line, trailing off only on the licence-losing upper range.
Despite those figures and its ferocity, the SUV always remains manageable, never becoming needy, always eager to please and always composed. And, boy, does it please. Even at speeds approaching 200 km/h, the GLC 63 rides so well, so smoothly and is so in command of the road the Queen might want to think about downsizing from her high-perch Ranger Rovers. Sure, the electromechanical, speed-sensitive sports steering could use a little more feedback, but it is seriously accurate and delightfully weighted. Rarely has driving fast felt so good.
In a sense, this is very much like an extremely quick GT car, except it has more room and more utility with AWD. It may even be better at holding the road than many GT cars, its chassis and performance all adjustable into modes that range from Comfort to Sport, Sport+, Individual and Race. There is no question the DNA from the Mercedes-AMG GT has been steeped into this SUV.
With guardrails bordering many of the roads we consumed, our courage was restrained to Sport+, but even then the ride was compliant without being too hard. In Comfort, the ferociousness of the engine, steering, transmission and suspension are well tamed. Suddenly, the smooth, quiet ride would never make anyone think they are riding in one of the fastest SUVs on the planet. A three-stage “ride control” overseeing the air suspension no doubt helps with that.
Inside, the S receives excellent sport seats in Artico man-made leather, Dinamica upholstery (an eco-friendly suede), AMG badging, aluminum pedals and illuminated door sills. Unique lighting includes puddle lights that illuminate with the AMG logo of “Affalterbach” where all AMG engines are assembled in a meticulous process. The view out back is limited, necessitating the use of cameras, but the view out front is very good.
Option packages will, of course, be available when the SUV arrives in April 2018. Pricing has not been released, but expect it to be close to or undercut the Porsche Macan Turbo, which costs about $87,000. Keep in mind the Macan comes with two fewer cylinders, is one second slower to 100km/h, and has 100 fewer horsepower, a figure that still matters to a great many at Mercedes.