We drove the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S Coupe

Let’s be honest; at some point in your life there has been a thought that reaches you on some “I do not need a 375kW of power SUV that looks and behaves like a coupe,” if not then our review of the GLC 63 S would be null and void.

The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S Coupe is Stuttgart’s answer to an ask we’re not certain anyone has asked, though that’s not to say offering more power and zing that any customer in the market for a compact crossover requires doesn’t have its charms.

Priced from R 1,917,000 the GLC 63 S sits at the height of a SUV, with the roofline of a stretched coupe, and an interior you wouldn’t want to get muddy. We really tried not to, we tried.

On the outside, Mercedes’ “Panamericana” grille is mighty present. The 21-inch AMG Multi-Spoke alloys you see pictured here are a R17 300 option, quite apt as the GLC might look weird on anything smaller.

In the same breath, R5 700 for Obsidian Black Metallic paint might sound a bit imprudent, until you feast your eyes on it. The vehicle is entirely blacked out, something that we like and will have us praising Mercedes’ marketing department for months to come.

We weren’t entirely convinced about the duck-tail spoiler at the back, though. That doesn’t quite fit with the ethos Mercedes is running with, unlike the quartet of exhaust pipes we’ve fallen in love with, we think.

Jump inside, and you get a welcome reminder as to why Mercedes is making the best interiors in the auto industry at the moment. The new S-Class will topsy-turve things with a huge central display later this year, but the 10.25-inch screen in the GLC 63 S Coupe doesn’t feel small at all, and the 12.3-inch digital driver display is genuinely crisp.

Get into the driver’s seat and you’ll notice Mercedes-AMG’s thick-rimmed steering wheel is an unexplainable joy. The controls found on the wheel for drive mode and performance shortcuts are a great addition too.

Here’s where some of the updates come in, freshly added for the 2021 model year, the MBUX system we first saw on the A-Class supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with the “Hey Mercedes” voice command.

When it comes to tech, our review car was blessed with the optional wireless mobile charger and Driver Assistance Package, including everything from advanced adaptive cruise control with lane-keep and lane-change assistance, to route-based speed adaption and active blind spot assistance. There’s also the Parking Assistance Package which feels more essential than anything else.

Of course the reason we’re all here is what’s at the other end of the SUV: the power. 375kW of power and 700Nm of torque courtesy of a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8. Handcrafted, true to tradition, at AMG’s facility, and then paired with a speedshift 9-speed automatic. 0-100 km/h arrives in 3.8 seconds.

AMG’s Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive is standard on the GLC 63 S.

In case you haven’t noticed thus far, almost everything about the GLC 63 S Coupe is unrestrained. Lightly graze the petrol in Comfort mode and you surge ahead; a feeling we welcome warmheartedly. Dial things up a notch through to Sport and Sport+ modes in the DYNAMIC SELECT system, and let it rip. Literally, unless your temperament can handle it. Meanwhile, Race mode is the most excessive yet.

About three days in with our test vehicle, we were able to confirm that the GLC 63 S Coupe is one greedy beast; the cabin is so rigorously insulated from the world outside, it’s all too ever easy to find yourself whipping through a full tank far faster than intended. Truth be told, the AMG wants you to drive fast.

As we close off our time with the GLC 63 S, the reality is that cars like this are bought with the heart, and not the head. AMG fans will want the GLC, BMW lovers will look to something like the X4 M Competition while Porsche lovers will juggle between the Macan Turbo or Cayenne GTS. Bluntly put, any of the above will deliver on the “achingly fast SUV” scale, and sadly none of them will come close to showing their full potential on our public roads.

Take your pick of the absurd, captivating and dare we say charming SUVs, then, and take it to the nearest public track. You’ll love the AMG.

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#Mercedes Benz #Mercedes-AMG #Mercedes-AMG GLC

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.