Is the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 a Good Performance SUV?Â
- Most certainly yes, but while its new, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain is a clear step up in power and performance, it’s a step backward in personality. For some, though, the gains in both efficiency and capability will be worth the trade-off.
How Does the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 Compare With Other SUVs?Â
- Hot stuff like the BMW X3 M Competition and Porsche Macan GTS don’t even come close; the GLC63 S E Performance’s bonkers power puts it into a different league, closer in capability to class-up stuff like the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Audi RS Q8.
Rumor has it the V-8’s headed back to Benz. Whether due to lack of customer demand, internal distaste or a heady combination of both, a number of public comments from brand execs hint that the current (and very new) generation of hybridized, turbocharged four-cylinders found in a selection of Mercedes-AMG’s “63” products hasn’t garnered the public response the brand expected.
It’s absolutely been confirmed that AMG is working on a new V-8 powertrain, but what’s not confirmed is where that new heart will land; we’ve yet to see what the next-gen E63 sedan/wagon and CLE63 coupe have under their hoods, but mules of both vehicles caught testing on the Nurburgring blanketed the surrounding greenery with a distinctly octo-tastic soundtrack.
Related: How Much Is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC?
Exciting, but we now need to temper expectations for the current GLC63. I’m of two minds here: I think the hybrid four-cylinder drivetrain wasn’t the correct move for a vehicle whose identity is so inexorably intertwined with the V-8 engine, but I also wouldn’t expect Mercedes to completely ditch such an extensively engineered and highly complex drivetrain within its first two model years.
Is Mercedes-Benz Bringing the V-8 Back?
That said, it wouldn’t be the first time an automaker had abandoned a primo engineering project after lackluster response. Still, it makes more hierarchical sense for Mercedes to leave the four-cylinder be and try to make up lost sales ground with those eight-cylinder Es and CLEs. So for now, I’m approaching the GLC63 S E Performance and the similarly powered C63 S E Performance sedan as vehicles set for sustained production —  at least the next two model years.
The GLC63’s story is much the same as its sedan counterpart’s. Long gone is the 503-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 of the last generation; it now buzzes around with that hybridized turbo-four. Without all the electrification hardware, the boosted four-banger zips out a mighty 469 hp and 402 pounds-feet of torque, making it far and away the most powerful production four-cylinder ever made. Factor in the electric motor linked up toward the rear of the drivetrain, and you add a soupy 201 hp and 236 pounds-feet into the mix, with two additional motors handling turbo spool-up and starter/alternator duties.
All in, that’s 671 hp and a stonkin’ 752 pounds-feet of torque to command via a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system. Mercedes says the GLC63’s 0-60 mph sprint is dispatched in a shocking 3.5 seconds — just 0.2 seconds behind the C63 S E Performance. Given the Germans are renowned for sandbagging their official acceleration figures, you can look for the real 0-60 scoot to fall somewhere toward 3 seconds flat.
How Quick Is the 2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63?
That’s quick. Quick quick. I know this era of proliferated, over-torqued electric sledges has us dissociating when it comes to specs-sheet performance figures, but this crossover has the guts to pull on supercars from the mid-2010s — while hauling your mom, a kid or two, some boxes, a whole heap of groceries and an iced matcha in the center console.
In theory, this is the ultimate do-everything vehicle for families in search of some sizzle in their sled; Mercedes finery, AMG performance, decent fuel economy — I averaged 16.2 mpg over 251 aggressive miles, but it’s EPA-rated 20 mpg combined — and crossover utility. And I think the average GLC63 customer will care far, far less about what’s under the hood than the average C63 buyer.
In practice, this Mercedes can be aggro where you want it soft, muted when you want a knifepoint. Unless you’re planning some trackwork — insane thought process — please skip the very aesthetically cool (and effective) AMG Performance seats for the standard thrones. My test car had the former, and as much as my inner speed freak loved the pass-through elements and ultra-squeezy bolsters, they’re complete overkill for something you’ll be driving every day, even with 671 hp on tap.
Here’s another interesting contradiction: Though this vehicle is monstrously quick from a dig, acceleration feels as though it drops off after the upper-limit of American highway speeds. It’s still quick, but I’m not sure that electrical assistance is sustained through the speedo. Still, engaging the GLC’s launch control at a city stoplight is one hell of a way to spill drinks, lose phones and cause general mayhem when you catch a car full of folks unawares.
How Does the 2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 Drive in the City?
My week with this nuclear GLC was a busy one, devoid of any chance to hit the California canyons; hosting a houseguest meant the GLC served more as a supercruiser than a mountain meteor. I didn’t really get to test out the full range of the adaptive suspension, nor could I reap the benefits of its trick rear-wheel steering outside of low-speed maneuvering in tight parking lots.
In all modes save Race, the GLC requisitely shifted the balance of performance and comfort to a usable degree. Race was a bridge — or maybe a pit lane — too far toward violence. In that mode, the suspension was too stiff for urban Los Angeles roads and the powertrain too pointed for traffic.
Uh, duh. If you get the standard seats and oscillate between Comfort and Sport Plus modes, the GLC63 S E Performance approaches Goldilocks levels of well-roundedness. You’re not even locked into clinical, cold solitary confinement with carbon fiber, Alcantara and aluminum; there’s a breadth of traditional Mercedes leather colors and wood trim to pick from, resulting in some rather classy configurations.
As was the case with the far more mundane GLC350e I reviewed late last year, the cabin of Merc’s compact SUV is generally a primo place to count down the highway miles. The portrait-style 11.9-inch infotainment touchscreen is remarkably high fidelity, as is the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and I promise your Spotify seshes will sound fabulous through the optional Burmester premium stereo.
I end this evaluation torn. Despite the extra bulk and near complete lack of underhood character, I think the hybrid-four powertrain works better in this SUV than it does in the C-Class. Those buying an AMG-ified compact luxury SUV don’t strike me as the, ah, discerning type, so the downsizing under the hood will likely go unnoticed for what I assume to be a fair number of lease-and-release transactions.
If only I could get another crack at the C63…
2025 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance
Well, well, well. A month or so after driving the GLC63, I got my second bout of seat-time in what must be Mercedes’ most controversial car since the first-generation A-Class. I already have a full write-up on the C63, produced after our first drive of the car, so this was more of a check-in to see how that mighty 2.0T powertrain operates in the real world, not just the twisty back roads of Malibu.
This time, I pointed the C63 toward the high-horsepower playground that is the Mojave Desert. I had a date with Ram and its updated heavy-duty pickup lineup in Laughlin, Nev., and a couple hundred miles of desolate desert tarmac stretched between my LA apartment and my casino hotel room. (Per Cars.com’s ethics policy, we pay for any travel and lodging at such manufacturer-sponsored events.)
If the GLC63 S E Performance is potent, the C63 is white hot. The prior 503-hp, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 was great at settling down when its athleticism wasn’t needed, but the new four-cylinder hybridized powertrain is a step beyond it in civility. The four-banger faded into the background when puttering through the inexorable traffic clogs that always prevent me from leaving LA’s gravitational pull.
Is the Mercedes-AMG C63 Fast?
Then, the open wasteland. Full-throttle in the hybrid C63 is a sensation you won’t find anywhere else in the compact sedan class, squeezing your eyes and squishing your gut not unlike a Porsche 911 Turbo from two generations ago — and that’s a compliment. Passing power is immense, to put it lightly; I won’t go into full, incriminating detail of what happens when you play “floor it until it gets scary” in this car, but, uh, dang.
The brakes are strong, too — very strong. My time with the car was mainly focused on long dusty straights rather than mountain passes, so refer to the first drive for the full back-roads blast. Ride composure over some of the more granular Nevada roads was well isolated and managed, with the same general level of comfort available in the C as in the GLC.
A fast, tremendously capable and multifaceted supersedan, no doubt. But are its clear day-to-day operational gains worth the undeniable loss of character? Not for me — and apparently, not for customers.
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