I took the newest iteration of Mercedes’ performance hybrid SUV on a 500-mile road trip and loved every minute and mile I spent driving it. I’m a sucker for Mercedes AMG’s hybrid gas and electric powertrains—the extra range of an electrically augmented engine, plus AMG power and luxury inside and out, offer an experience well worth the as-tested $115,000 asking price.
Design & Interior
The GLC63 S E in Alpine Grey (a $1,750 add-on) is stunning and makes it look even more like an ocean-bound predator than it already does, but the modern color was balanced by a Cognac-colored Nappa leather interior for a nice blend of edgy and classic. The press model I had was fully loaded with all the AMG bells and whistles—black lacquer console, ceramic brakes, high-performance tires, AMG wheels, ventilated seats and a panoramic roof, among other trimmings. My use case was going to a wedding and then dropping my daughter off at summer camp, and while the SUV is not large, the rear cargo area was big enough to hold a steel camp trunk and several pieces of luggage. The dashboard is a mix of carbon fiber and leather, with a black lacquer console as pristine as a new piano lid. The air vents are metal, and the suede on the performance steering wheel feels phenomenal in your hands. There are no cut corners inside the cockpit.
On the outside it has serious presence, with a low and wide stance, an aggressive front fascia and grille, and track-ready AMG wheels. The black roof, black window trim, and black side mirrors contrast nicely with the Alpine Grey. And while chrome has been somewhat out of fashion on luxury performance vehicles lately, the touch of the chrome door handles reminds me why the finish will always have a place, no matter how popular matte treatments might be. It’s a sexy SUV by any measure, but only people who know it will immediately know how special it is, which I like. That said, if you crank it up in any of the sport or race modes, that incognito game is up—this thing growls like a Rottweiler.
Performance & Experience
The AMG turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine is paired with a “permanently excited” synchronous electric motor. I would say that “synchronous” is the operative word here, as it marries its gas and electric power like a finely-sanded dovetail joint—you can’t feel the juncture between gas and electric. Instead, you just feel 671 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque, delivered seamlessly and always on tap.
It has 2.5-degree rear axle steering, wherein the rear axle turns when you steer it to give you better maneuverability at low speeds and greater stability at high speeds. I felt it on the mountain roads as an incredible turning radius.
Mercedes promises 31 mpg with gas and electric combined, and 20 mpg of combined city and highway mileage for gas only. Be that as it may, even without a full charge, I had well over 400 miles of range on a full tank of premium gas, and when I had both the battery and the gas tank maxed out, I got well over 400 miles of range. I stayed at a mountain house with a Level 2 charger, and I was able to run errands without putting a dent in the gas tank. Overall, I was extremely impressed by the range, especially given how incredible the performance is. The GLC63 S E is so good at harvesting energy from braking that you always have a little extra electric power helping out the performance and the gas mileage.
As for creature comforts, the sound system was fantastic, as expected at this price. The massaging seats kept me alert for the long drive, and Mercedes’ driver assistance system took the strain off while it ate up the highway miles. My only quibble was that the touch-sensitive controls on the panoramic roof were fiddly to me and took some getting used to.
With someone else’s Mercedes in a non-track environment, I did not push the performance to its limits. I don’t think I could even if I was on a track. But I did enjoy setting it to Sport, Sport+ or Race mode when I was pulling up to a house visiting family just to give them a scare with the engine noise. And a few times I got to test out the torque and horsepower when I went from a dead stop up to freeway speeds, and it glued me to the seatback.
Final Thoughts
This is an SUV for someone who wants an absolute thrill of an engine with uncompromising luxury. But it’s unexpectedly practical, with excellent range and the ability to either forget about the charger or to use it every day—either way this SUV kicks serious ass. You really could charge it daily and run errands in pure electric mode, or you could not use the charger at all, and it would still keep enough power on tap to deliver on its AMG promise. The base price is $86,000 but it was $115,000 as tested—putting it into an elite tier pricewise. But by every measure, this thing feels like a hundred and fifteen grand.
