Looking to buy a high-performance mid-size SUV? Mercedes-Benz Australia might have something for you. It’s the new 2024 AMG GLC 63 S E Performance. Yep, the new hybrid package is now on sale.
A bit like the new C 63 AMG, the GLC 63 drops the old 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 and instead gets a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder hybrid. It incorporates a 6.1kWh battery and 80kW e-motor that peaks at 150kW. This battery can be recharged using AC power at up to 3.7kW, and then it returns an electric range of 14km.
Combined with the 2.0L turbo engine, which produces a whopping 350kW and 545Nm alone, the system unleashes 500kW and 1020Nm overall. As you’d expect, performance is mind-bending, with 0-100km/h coming up in a claimed 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of up to 275km/h with the optional AMG Driver’s Package.
All of that grunt is pushed through a nine-speed automatic transmission, with a wet starting clutch and then a torque converter for smooth but rapid shifts. Drivers then have a selection of drive modes, including Sport and Sport+ which offer a double-declutching function for an “expressive shifting” experience, Mercedes says.
Speaking of modes, the GLC S E Performance comes with AMG Active Ride Control suspension as standard, with Comfort, Sport and Sport+ settings, with electromechanical stabilisers to maintain body control. It doesn’t use conventional solid stabiliser bars.
The new model also comes with active rear-wheel steering as standard, which provides up to 2.5 degrees of angle. At speeds up to 100km/h, the rear wheels can swivel in the opposite direction to the front to increase agility, while above 100km/h they can turn in the same direction to aid stability, at up to 0.7 degrees.
Being the top-dog AMG model, the GLC 63 is decorated and trimmed up with various performance and sporty highlights, including 21-inch forged wheels, a darkened front grille and black-chrome badges, as well as a suitably dressed up interior with bucket seats and an AMG steering wheel.
Mercedes-Benz is offering a special Edition 1 package for a limited time to celebrate the new model’s arrival. It brings in a number of bespoke features, including grey mango paint, an AMG Aerodynamics kit, special Edition 1 wheels, and an indoor AMG car cover, among other things.
The new model is on sale now priced from $192,900 for the wagon and from $199,500 for the coupe (excluding on-road costs). Going for the Edition 1 pack adds $12,900 to the bill. The new beast comes in as the most powerful petrol mid-size SUV ever.
