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By Jonathan Crouch
Introduction
The SUV segment is a profitable niche for car makers - and the high performance end of it even more so. Here's the model that between 2017 and 2022 claimed to rule the mid-sized part of that segment, the thunderous V8-powered Mercedes-AMG GLC 63.
Models
5dr SUV 4.0 petrol
History
In the 2017-2022 period, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 was the fastest, most powerful mid-sized SUV you could buy. It was the only V8-powered contender of its kind, it was politically incorrect and it was fantastically desirable. All the right ingredients then.
In fact, 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 and an engine soundtrack to die for. 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 we first saw in the AMG GT performance sportscar in 2014.
Since then, that twin turbo engine has been fitted into a variety of Mercedes-AMG products, including the C63 and E63 models that share much of their engineering with this top GLC. Here, it could put out as much as 510hp and a thumping 700Nm of torque, that latter figure enough to embarrass this car's most direct segment competitors, the Porsche Macan Turbo and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 sold in X253/C253 form until late 2022. Let's check this car out as a used buy.
What You Get
Get one of these bearing down in the fast lane upon you and you'd scuttle over pretty quickly. Whether you choose your GLC 63 in this SUV guise or in its alternative Coupe form, it's a mean-looking beast. The lesser V6-engined Mercedes-AMG 43 4MATIC model could easily be mistaken for an ordinary GLC with sporty 'AMG Line' trim, but from a glance at this V8 variant, you know you're dealing with a different thing entirely. The wider 'jet wing'-inspired front apron with its huge lower corner finned cut-outs is one component in this change of demeanour, but the main thing that enhances this '63' model's added status is a distinctive styling feature once reserved for the AMG GT sportscar - the 'Panamerica' front grille.
And inside up-front? Well if you're wavering between this car and Affalterbach's more conventional C 63 model, then this is where the GLC V8 will probably sell itself to you. You know of course that this SUV's high-set stance will put it at a disadvantage to an ordinary performance saloon or estate when it comes to weight transfer and cornering agility, but somehow, it's hard to resist the allure of such a commanding driving position. The 'S' variant is differentiated by its grippy flat-bottomed AMG Performance steering wheel and AMG Performance sports seats, both of which feature DTM-style 'DINAMICA' microfibre trim.
And in the back? Well if you've been persuaded to buy one of these in preference to the C 63 Estate model that the magazine experts will recommend you choose instead, it's here that that decision will pay off. The GLC 63 has 33mm more length in its wheelbase than one of those would offer and nearly all of that has been used for the benefit of rear folk who as a result enjoy significantly improved room for their legs and knees. Let's finish by taking a look at luggage space, accessed via the standard electrically-operated tailgate. There's 550-litres of space on offer. That's 25-litres more than you'd get in an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and 50-litres more than you'd find in a Porsche Macan Turbo. The GLC Coupe body style gives you a 500-litre space.
What You Pay
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What to Look For
Most AMG GLC owners in our survey were satisfied, the 4.0-litre AMG V8engine being pretty bullet-proof, but inevitably, there were some who'd experienced other problems. The most common problem we came across seems to be an inherent fault with all right hand drive GLCs; if you turn full lock, left or right, the outside tyre skips and jumps. The larger the wheel the noisier it is. This is a basic steering geometry issue and you need to check for it on your test drive. One owner replaced all brake disks due to bad vibration. A month ago the power steering stopped working as he went around a bend and the car had to be towed away prior to a complete replacement steering rack. In another instance, an owner's gearbox failed.
Otherwise, it's just the usual stuff. Check for signs of damage to the bodywork and alloy wheels. Even though all AMG GLCs came with parking sensors, there may be some and top-spec variants with wide alloy rims are particularly prone to scratches. Check for uneven panel gaps and paint flaws. Inspect the electrics and the air conditioning functionality - it should blow our really chilled air. Some owners in our survey complained of un-Mercedes-like squeaks and rattles; try the car you have in mind across a bumpy bit of road to try and expose any nasty noises.
Replacement Parts
(approx based on a 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4MATIC+ - Ex Vat) An air filter is around £78. An oil filter costs around £15. A pollen filter is around £10-£53. Front brake pads sit in the £84 to £167 bracket for a set. Front brake discs can cost around £274. A headlamp is £170-£300; a tail lamp costs around £183-£246. A water pump is around £80; a wiper blade is around £9-£12. A starter motor is around £109.
On the Road
The world may not need a mid-sized SUV with around 500hp, but you might - and if you do, then this Affalterbach-engineered AMG model is a tempting lottery-winner's confection. It uses much the same 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 that you'll find in the AMG GT sportscar, which aurally is on another level from the V6 engines you'll find in direct rivals. Here, this powerplant puts out either 476hp or 510hp, depending on your choice between standard or 'S'-spec versions of the two body styles on offer, the boxier 'SUV' variant or the trendier 'Coupe' body shape. Whatever your preference, you get 4MATIC+ 4WD and a 9-speed 'AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT' auto gearbox with an in-built 'RACE START' function. Use this and your kidneys will be thrust to the back of your rib cage as this car hurls itself forward from rest, reaching 62mph in just 4.0s in the standard GLC 63 - or 3.8s in the GLC 63 S model.
But this car has more to offer than just straight line speed. Intuitive cornering assistance is delivered by the standard rear limited slip differential, which is mechanically-operated in the standard GLC 63 and electronically-driven in this 'S' variant. The steering's more feelsome than we were expecting it to be too - though the rack still doesn't have the feedback you'd get from a rival Porsche Macan Turbo. Three-chamber air springing and adaptive adjustable damping comes as standard, but it's a very firm set-up, even if you keep the car in the softest of its three available damping modes. Potential buyers will have to decide whether or not they can live with that. As usual with a Mercedes model, there's a 'DYNAMIC SELECT' driving modes system that allows you to tweak steering feel, throttle response, gearshift timings and the throaty sound of the optional AMG performance exhaust. Running costs will be as predictably high as you'd expect they would be for a V8 petrol-powered high performance SUV. The '63 S' SUV model returns 23.7mpg on the combined cycle and 270g/km of CO2 (NEDC figures).
Overall
Critics of course line up to snipe at this car for its weight, its prodigious thirst and what in their eyes is a misguided sense of automotive fashion. It tries, they'll tell you, to be five cars in one - SUV, estate, performance sportscar, luxury saloon and, in its alternative form, coupe as well. Yet ends up hitting none of these marks satisfactorily. To some extent, that's true, but it's quite a thing to watch this model strive to reach such an impossible objective. And get surprisingly close to meeting it.
Whether it's worth paying double the cost of an ordinary X253/C253-series GLC to enjoy such a performance is a decision only you can make. Perhaps the bigger picture here though is that in a world of eco technology and global warming, the days of the big V8-powered SUV must inevitably be numbered. If funds permit and you like what Mercedes has tried to do here, we'd suggest that you buy one - and enjoy it while you can.
