There was a time when SUVs and sports cars — like pineapple and pizza — occupied their own corners of the motoring smorgasbord and never the twain would meet.
The former were for tackling off-road trails and the latter were for scorching along tar roads, and everyone stayed in their lane.
But, with the same derring-do enthusiasm that must have led to fruit becoming a legitimate pizza topping, car companies cooked up the concept of super-SUVs, endowing their off-road vehicles with monster motors and stiffened suspension.
One might ponder the point of such vehicles — creating a sporty, dropped-suspension version of a high-riding SUV seems to defeat the object.
Given that the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S Coupe is unlikely to ever sully its low-profile tyres on a muddy trail, it would seem more sensible to get one’s high-performance kicks from a fully fledged road car like the C63 sedan with its lower centre of gravity.
But if sitting a few centimetres higher and peering over other cars’ rooftops in your sports car is non-negotiable, this Benz comes with the bragging rights of being the second-fastest SUV around the Nurburgring, behind the Audi RS Q8.
At the heart of the Merc’s performance is the 4.0l V8 biturbo that does duty in several other AMG models. In the range-topping GLC it’s tuned to deliver 375kW and 700Nm, making it capable of scorching the 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds. Take a moment to linger on that sub four-second figure; it’s a family SUV casually reeling off sprint times that a few years ago required the likes of a Lamborghini to achieve.
There’s torque aplenty from low rpm, and its more eager in the mid-range than BMW’s rev-hungry X4 M Competition.
And with all-wheel-drive grip, it blasts forward with no tyre screeching and minimal torque steer — though there’s so much power that even medium throttle inputs get the traction control light blinking. The throttle always feels very responsive no matter which mode you’re in, and it’s downright trigger-happy in Race mode.
All the vocal drama is produced by the V8, which even in its quieter moments sounds like a hungry lion roaring into a steel drum. The optional R22,173 AMG performance exhaust system (c’mon Mercedes, that should come standard) allows the sound to be made even raunchier at the press of a button.
The GLC’s road-hugging skills are made possible by air suspension with adaptively variable damping, AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive with fully variable torque distribution, and a rear axle-locking differential.
As pointless as sports SUVs might be, this vehicle handles pretty well for its heightened stance and doesn’t feel overly top-heavy. We tested the roadholding around Benoni’s Formula K circuit and the Benz felt composed, without excessive body roll, though the powerful brute felt hemmed-in on the tight and twisty track.
The car has several driving modes, and in its Race setting it adopts an aggressive, Hulk-like personality.
The ride is quite firm no matter what the mode, but not so jarring that you can’t use this Benz as a daily commuter. A fittingly exotic tactile sensation is created by an AMG steering wheel (optional) that combines carbon fibre and nappa. Selecting the different driving modes can also be done race car-style by knobs on the steering wheel, with their own integrated LCD displays.
All this performance comes at a price at the fuel pumps, with our test car averaging 18.6l per 100km. Admittedly we didn’t spare the horses as it’s not a vehicle that inspires driving restraint, but even driving with the proverbial egg under the throttle pedal it’s unlikely to achieve the 12.3l figure claimed by Mercedes.
In terms of its family practicality, this SUV coupe has reasonably roomy seating space and there’s enough leg and head room in the rear for a pair of six-foot adults. More of an issue is the limited view out of the rear windscreen, caused by the roof sloping down so dramatically.
The latest-generation MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system can be operated with touch, gesture or voice control — the latter technology is getting better but its ability to decipher spoken instructions is still hit and miss.
For its R2,140,480 price, the GLC 63 S is reasonably well equipped but there’s a raft of expensive extra-cost options on offer, including an all-digital instrument panel (R11,913), Keyless-Go (R10,347), an AMG performance steering wheel (R6,434), and carbon-fibre trim R15,043).
For R2.1m, you’d expect these items to be standard, but nevertheless, your attention will most likely not be on the interior knick-knacks but on the car’s thrust, and the happy sight of peering over other cars’ roofs as you blast past in your sports-car-on-stilts.
Tech Specs
ENGINE
Type: Eight-cylinder petrol turbo
Capacity: 4.0l
Power: 375kW
Torque: 700Nm
TRANSMISSION
Type: Nine-speed automatic
DRIVETRAIN
Type: 4Matic all-wheel drive
PERFORMANCE (claimed)
Top speed: 280km/h
0-100km/h: 3.8 seconds
Fuel consumption: 12.3l/100km (claimed); 18.6l /100km (as tested)
Emissions: 280g/km
STANDARD FEATURES
ABS brakes, stability control, seven airbags, reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring, MBUX multimedia system, voice control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, cruise control, AMG Ride Control adaptive air suspension, nappa leather upholstery, heated front seats, climate control, rain sensor, leather multifunction steering wheel, LED headlamps, digital instrument cluster
Warranty: Two years/unlimited kilometres
Maintenance plan: Five years/100,000km
Price: R2,140,480
Lease*: R45,573 a month
* at 10% interest over 60 months no deposit
Competition
BMW X4 M Competition, 375kW/600Nm — R1,822,362
Porsche Cayenne turbo coupe, 404kW/770Nm — R2,559,000
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q4 Race Edition, 375kW/600Nm — R1,829,485
Jaguar F-Pace SVR, 405kW/700Nm — R1,860,540
Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S
WE LIKE:
Styling, performance
WE DISLIKE:
Limited rear view, high price of options
VERDICT:
A sports car on stilts
MOTOR NEWS
star rating
*****Design
****Performance
****Economy
*****Safety
****Value For Money
****Overall
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