Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic+ Coupé 2017 first drive

Of the four derivatives, we sampled the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S Coupé and one of the first striking things is how it sounds. Granted, it is fairly sober upon start-up in Comfort mode, but when the aggressive Sport Plus mode is engaged via the Dynamic Select rocker switch on the centre console and the optional sports exhaust is fully opened, the evocative, thunderous sound of old-school V8 iron makes the GLC 63 S Coupé sound like a Nascar. Whether you let the automatic transmission change cogs itself or use the steering-wheel-mounted paddles, each downshift is accompanied by a throaty bark and crackle on the overrun.

And, boy, does it feels quicker than a car of this heft should: the GLC 63 packs a powerful punch in any guise, but the S version produces 503bhp and 516lb ft (34bhp and 37b ft more than the standard car), performance that makes light work of the two-tonne weight to sprint from 0-62mph in an eye-widening 3.8sec. For comparison, Porsche claims a 0-62mph time of 4.4sec for the Macan Turbo equipped with the Performance Package, while the BMW X3 M40i hits 62mph from rest in a time of 4.8sec. The Merc’s performance feels as staggering as the raw figures look: find a straight stretch of road, mash the accelerator and the GLC 63 S Coupé squats at the rear and takes off up the road like a dragster.

The physics-defying performance is similarly impressive during cornering. Despite the overall weight and the V8 engine in its nose, the GLC 63 S Coupé’s body control is taut and composed in the more focused Sport and Sport Plus driving modes, and even dialling back to Comfort mode only adds a slight touch of wallow and lean through bends. All this doesn’t come at the expense of ride comfort, either, with the air springs doing a commendable job of soaking up road imperfections and maintaining a flat, roll-free attitude. Grip levels from the four-wheel-drive system are as every bit as impressive as you'd expect.

Its enormous capability doesn’t necessarily translate as pure driver reward in every aspect, though. The variable steering is accurate but through the thick, squidgy steering wheel it never provides the same feeling of an intimate connection with the road that a Macan Turbo’s would reward you with. There’s not quite the same level of fluid interaction; the Mercedes feels more like a point-and-squirt weapon that bludgeons the road into submission, rather than a vehicle that is constantly communicating with its driver through every twist and turn.  

As intoxicating and hugely entertaining as that V8 engine feels and sounds, it's hard to make a case to wholeheartedly recommend the GLC 63 Coupé over its five-door sibling unless you’re smitten by the swoopy, but divisive, styling. From a practical perspective, you pay £2500 more than Mercedes UK charges for the five-door GLC 63 to get less interior room and less load-lugging capability.

Set that aside and the GLC 63 Coupé makes for a decadent, if faintly ludicrous, modern-day hot rod. It’s packed with the quality you’d expect from Mercedes-AMG, with one of the most luxurious and comfortable cabins on the market, a long list of performance-oriented kit, and all the connectivity and driver aids you’d expect on a cutting-edge vehicle at a premium price point.