POWER WITHOUT GLORY? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

In second generation form, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 gets a very different powertrain. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 90

The SUV segment is a profitable niche for car makers - and the high performance end of it even more so. Here's the second generation version of the model that claims to rule the mid-sized part of that segment, the thunderous Mercedes-AMG GLC 63. Now, it's badged the '63 S E Performance 4MATIC', which designates a switch to the Plug-in electrified powertrain that rivals will in future have to adopt as well. It's a heavier, more complex beast these days. But, potentially, still just as addictive as it ever was.

Backgroundword count: 245

This is the fastest, most powerful mid-sized SUV you can buy, the second generation Mercedes-AMG GLC 63. No longer quite so politically incorrect but still fantastically desirable. All the right ingredients then. It's the kind of machine you might conceivably come up with if, in a pleasant few moments, you were to mentally assemble all the elements necessary to create your ideal car - assuming you could only have one and that money was no object. It'd need plenty of interior space, yet couldn't be so large that cornering agility would be compromised. You'd want a commanding driving position, 4WD traction, storming acceleration, a potent engine soundtrack and a bit of EV range to salve your eco conscience. This Mercedes confidently ticks all those boxes. You can even have it in coupe-SUV form if you don't want the standard body shape. No other brand has more experience in high performance SUVs like this one, the Mercedes legacy in this market niche dating back to 1999 and the fast but rather wayward ML55. The company's AMG tuning division in Affalterbach has got rather better at producing go-faster versions of Mercedes products since then - they're now good for corners as well as straight lines - and it really shifted up a gear with the introduction of the 4.0-litre V8-powered first generation GLC 63 in 2019. This second generation model though, gets a performance PHEV powertrain borrowed from the C 63, but it's more powerful than before.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 255

Relaunching this GLC 63 as a Plug-in Hybrid with a four cylinder engine seems rather contradictory to the kind of car this was and hopefully still is. But stay with us. For a start, this isn't just any four-pot PHEV powertrain. It has a track record from use in non-EV form in the market's fastest hot hatch, the AMG A 45. And as a result of fiendish technical complexity, it develops more power than the old GLC 63's 4.0-litre V8, with a 671bhp combined output. There's also now a full-electric drive-off setting allowing you to leave the house early in the morning without waking everyone up and annoying the neighbours. By and large though, you choose a GLC 63 because you want to hear what the engine can do. And AMG promises that in 'RACE' mode, the most fiery of the eight main drive settings, you really will, particularly if you engage 'RACE START' and fire the car off the line to reach 62mph in just 3.5s. That's if you're quick with the paddle shifters for the 9-speed auto gearbox. Top speed is 171mph. Those figures are virtually the same as the equivalent C 63. More on that AWD drivetrain now. Even without the assistance of electric motor, the 476hp 2.0-litre engine is the world's most powerful four cylinder unit. Add in the rear axle-mounted 204hp electric motor (which has its own 2-speed gearbox) and total system output rises to class-leading levels, the 680hp figure we mentioned earlier backed by a thumping 1,020Nm of torque.

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