The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance is a sporty luxury hybrid with plenty of power. REV puts it to the test and answers the question: do you really need all that power in an SUV?
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00:00 This is the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 SE Performance.
00:09 A hell of a long name, but what it means is, it's the top sporty version.
00:14 And today we'll check out what it has to offer.
00:16 Welcome to Rev.
00:17 G for G-Wagon, L for its luxury status and C for its C-Class DNA.
00:23 The Mercedes-AMG GLC is an homage to its predecessors.
00:28 The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 is powered by a four-cylinder engine with 350 kW of power, 476 horsepower
00:42 and an electric motor with another 150 kW at the rear axle.
00:48 And that gives it a total power output of 500 kW, 680 horsepower.
00:54 A question with a hybrid car that has 500 kW of power is, do you really need that?
01:14 The Mercedes-AMG GLC is a very successful and popular model.
01:18 Even though it did only come onto the market in 2015, so it's relatively young compared
01:23 to other Mercedes models.
01:25 And yet, during the last years, it has been one of the most sold Mercedes models in Germany.
01:32 And that, by the way, is true for both company and privately owned vehicles.
01:38 The successor to the Mercedes-AMG GLC, the Mercedes-AMG GLC was first launched with gasoline,
01:43 diesel and plug-in hybrid versions.
01:46 In 2019, the model got a facelift with new engines.
01:54 And in mid-2022, the current-gen Mercedes-AMG GLC was launched.
01:59 All Mercedes-AMG GLC generations are also available as coupé versions.
02:03 Although our tester put the SUV version through its paces.
02:09 The car has a weight of more than 2 tons and despite that fact, it is quite nimble.
02:16 There are a few reasons for that.
02:18 One of those reasons is the rear wheel steering up to 2.5 degrees in the opposite direction
02:25 of the front wheels at slow speeds, which basically makes the wheelbase shorter, so
02:30 the turning circle smaller.
02:33 And up to 0.7 degrees into the same direction as the front wheels at high speeds, artificially
02:39 making the wheelbase longer than it is.
02:47 Reason number two is the Mercedes-AMG ride control system that will prevent the car from
02:55 rolling.
02:57 The sportier you have your settings, the less the car will roll into the curve as the body
03:02 gets stiffer.
03:09 The whole brand is taking steps into a purely electric future and that's why now they
03:15 start to build hybrid cars to get to know the electric engines, to get to know the technology
03:21 behind it and to learn to have their future cars very sporty without the need for a combustion
03:27 engine because that's where the whole company is going.
03:30 With 500 kilowatts on tap, the Mercedes-AMG GLC hits the ton in 3.5 seconds and has a
03:37 top speed limited to 275 kilometers an hour.
03:41 Plus, tiny design details on the outside remind you of this behemoth's sporty pedigree.
03:49 The interior of the Mercedes-AMG GLC is of course a little sportier than that of the
03:55 regular brothers.
03:56 You have the Mercedes-AMG steering wheel with the logo and you have some carbon and an AMG
04:03 button that will bring you to the different drive modes.
04:06 Of course, you can also choose the different drive modes with the button at the steering
04:09 wheel and this button has a second function.
04:13 It will let you adjust the recuperation of the car for different levels.
04:18 Zero to three.
04:20 Zero is no recuperation at all so the car will sail and three is maximum recuperation
04:26 so one pedal drive is possible.
04:29 The sporty interiors come complete with racing bucket seats.
04:33 The space in the back of the Mercedes-AMG GLC is absolutely okay.
04:36 You have some legroom, you have some headroom.
04:40 Of course, you can see it is a little lower than it needs to be.
04:43 That's because of the glass roof but then on the other hand, you have some nice view
04:47 while you're being driven back here.
04:50 The seats are quite comfortable.
04:52 The lower part is a little softer than the upper part but that's okay.
04:56 That way you won't sink into the seat too far.
05:00 Down here, you have climate control to adjust the temperature and also the fan and below
05:05 that two USB-C sockets to charge any smartphone you might have on you.
05:11 So the back is absolutely okay for long distance trips.
05:19 The trunk of the Mercedes-AMG GLC has a capacity of 620 to 1,680 liters which is the same as
05:27 the regular versions.
05:28 So despite this car being quite sporty, it also has a lot of versatility.
05:33 You can use it to go on a holiday trip with two people or even with the family.
05:38 And now on to what's under the Mercedes-AMG GLC's hood.
05:44 The combustion engine in itself is also quite interesting because it is a turbo that is
05:50 supported by an e-engine.
05:52 It will provide the turbo with additional air during low revs of the engine.
05:58 And that way the turbo can act faster than with a regular engine.
06:06 I mentioned earlier the e-engine has a power output of 150 kilowatts but that is the max
06:13 and it can only be kept up for a few seconds.
06:16 The continuous power output is 80 kilowatts.
06:20 So basically saying the 680 horsepower or 500 kilowatts are peak level.
06:27 That means you won't be able to work with that the whole time.
06:30 And then on the other hand you don't need it.
06:32 Sometimes for fast overtaking or things like that you can use the whole power but while
06:37 on your everyday trip to work or to shopping or wherever you won't need that much power.
06:48 Do you really need that?
06:50 The answer is of course obvious.
06:52 No.
06:53 The only reason to own such a car is of course driving fun with some comfort and luxury.
06:59 And the AMG GLC has all of that.
07:11 To sum up my AMG GLC experience, the car is extremely powerful and yet very comfortable.
07:19 So it features the best of both worlds which is also because of the drive programs that
07:24 make the car feel very different depending on which one you use.
07:28 And one thing is clear, an SUV with 500 kilowatts of power simply is not reasonable.
07:35 On the other hand if you really need a car with 500 kilowatts of power for whatever reason,
07:41 it is of course better to have one that is electrified than one with just a combustion
07:46 engine.
07:47 On the plus side you get a very powerful car that's incredibly nimble for its size and
07:52 weight.
07:53 On the downside, the purely electric range is literally non-existent and an entry level
07:59 price of almost 122,000 euros is mind-blowing, especially since this really is a C-class
08:05 on stilts.
08:06 (upbeat music)