Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S Coupe (C253)

Scope of this guide

This guide is scoped to the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S Coupe (C253) in its 2019 facelift form, the 4.0L Twin-turbo V8 five-seat coupe-styled SUV with permanent all-wheel drive that Mercedes-AMG revealed on 17 April 2019 and that stayed on sale until 2023. It is not a guide to the GLC 63 S SUV, which shares the engine but not the body, to the non-S GLC 63, which is a lower-output car (search snippets of launch coverage give 476 PS and 650 Nm, which we did not verify), to the first-generation GLC 63 S Coupe sold from late 2017 to early 2019, or to the 2023 GLC 63 S E Performance, which is a plug-in hybrid with a different engine. Where those cars differ we say so below, because an advert that says only "GLC 63 S" can describe any of them.

We have not driven this model for this article. Everything here comes from three cited sources: the Mercedes-Benz France media site, which carries the April 2019 facelift announcement, PistonHeads' road test of the pre-facelift coupe from July 2018, and the government recall checker. We also read the earlier Mercedes-Benz France page from 20 November 2017, Mercedes-Benz's German media article on the 2023 hybrid successor, and the Auto-Data specification pages for both generations, and we flag every point that rests on them. Where sources disagree we say so rather than pick a winner quietly. Prices are history, not valuations.

The figures at a glance

• Engine: 4.0L Twin-turbo V8 petrol, 3,982 cc, direct injection, front-mounted and longitudinal. Auto-Data gives the facelift engine code as M 177 DE 40 AL and, for the earlier car, a bore and stroke of 83 x 92 mm with a 10.5:1 compression ratio. The 3,982 cc figure matches our catalogue.
• Power: 375 kW, printed by Mercedes as 510 ch (metric horsepower, which is PS), at 5,500 to 6,250 rpm. Converted, 510 PS x 0.9863 is about 503 bhp, and 375 kW x 1.341 gives the same 503 bhp. We therefore state 503 bhp. Our catalogue previously held 510 bhp, which is the PS figure labelled as bhp, so we changed it. PistonHeads prints 510hp and Auto-Data prints 510 hp without saying which unit, and both are consistent with PS.
• Torque: 700 Nm from 1,750 to 4,500 rpm, which PistonHeads prints as 516 lb ft (700 Nm is about 516 lb ft).
• 0-100 km/h: 3.8 seconds, printed by Mercedes for the S models in both the 2017 and 2019 announcements. PistonHeads quotes 3.8 seconds for 0-62 mph from the spec sheet, which is a slightly longer test than 0-100 km/h, and says Autocar timed 3.7 seconds for 0-60 mph. Auto-Data's 3.6 seconds for 0-60 mph is its own calculation, not a measurement.
• Top speed: 280 km/h in the body text of the April 2019 Mercedes page. See the next section, because that page contradicts itself.
• Drive: all-wheel drive, called 4MATIC+ Performance by AMG, with a fully variable torque split, through a nine-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT automatic gearbox.
• Weight: 1,945 kg without driver and 2,020 kg with a 75 kg driver on the 2017 Mercedes page, which PistonHeads repeats as 2,020 kg. Auto-Data lists 1,950 kg for the facelift.

Which top speed is correct

The first-generation car was electronically limited to 250 km/h, which the November 2017 Mercedes page states plainly and PistonHeads gives as 155 mph. The April 2019 facelift page says "280 km/h" for the S models in its text and in both of its specification tables, and Auto-Data repeats 280 km/h for the 2019 to 2023 car. The same page, however, carries a footnote in both tables reading, in French, that the electronic limiter is 270 km/h with the AMG Driver's Package, and it lists the Driver's Package as standard on the S models. The page does not say where the footnote's marker belongs, and it does not reconcile 270 with 280.

So the honest position is that Mercedes published 280 km/h for the facelift S coupe, but the same document leaves room for a 270 km/h limiter. We keep 280 km/h in our catalogue because it is the figure printed in the text and in the tables, we flag the footnote, and we could not check the window sticker of any particular car. If top speed matters to you, ask the seller what the car was specified with and do not assume 280 km/h. A first-generation car is a 250 km/h car.

What changed between the two generations

Mercedes announced the first GLC 63 S Coupe in November 2017 with the same 510 PS and 700 Nm, a 3.8 second 0-100 km/h time, a 250 km/h limiter and five driving modes, the fifth being a Race mode exclusive to the S. Its fuel figures were 10.7 litres per 100 km and 244 g/km CO2 on the old NEDC test. The April 2019 facelift page gives 12.3 litres per 100 km and 280 g/km on the newer WLTP test, which it calls provisional. That is a change of test method, not proof that the car became thirstier, but do not compare the two sets of numbers directly. Search-result snippets of a Mercedes-Benz USA release also mention a redesigned AMG steering wheel with touch controls for the 2020 model year, but we did not open that release, so treat the cabin changes as unverified.

The pre-facelift car is the one PistonHeads tested, so its comments apply most directly to cars built up to early 2019. Auto-Data dates the first generation from September 2017 to April 2019 and the facelift from 2019 to July 2023. Those are one database's dates, not Mercedes statements, so check the registration date and build plate of any car near the changeover.

What the road test says

PistonHeads' Matt Bird drove the pre-facelift coupe and reported it as effortlessly fast, uncannily responsive and charismatic in its V8, with the three-chamber air suspension keeping a firm, tense feel. He was less kind about the ride, which he found unsettled for a Mercedes, about occasional hesitancy from the gearbox at low speed and a reluctance to change down, and about a cabin that looked dated beside newer Mercedes models, with the tacked-on display singled out. He also noted the car weighs more than 2,000 kg and concluded it did not feel ready to trouble the class leaders among fast SUVs, adding that the C 63 and E 63 were more likeable cars. The listed price was just under 79,000 pounds, about 91,000 pounds as tested with ceramic brakes and a premium pack. Treat that as 2018 history. PistonHeads also quoted 24.1 mpg and 267 g/km, which differs from Mercedes' 244 g/km, and we have not tried to reconcile cycles.

Buying checklist

Nothing in our three sources covers reliability, service costs or common faults, so the points below are our inference from the specification, not findings from a source.

• Confirm the generation and the specification from the registration and the build plate, so you know whether you are looking at a 250 km/h or a 280 km/h car.
• Ask for a full service history from a Mercedes-Benz or AMG specialist. A hot-vee twin-turbo V8 of this output is not forgiving of missed oil changes.
• Test the air suspension and the three-chamber settings in every drive mode, since PistonHeads found the ride restless even when new.
• Check the gearbox for low-speed hesitancy and for delayed downshifts, which PistonHeads reported on a new car, and check whether it has been serviced.
• Look at the tyre and brake condition. Auto-Data lists 265/45 ZR20 front and 295/40 ZR20 rear tyres for the first-generation car, and PistonHeads listed optional ceramic brakes at 4,285 pounds in 2018, so ask which brakes are fitted.
• Check that the mileage, owner count and any imports match the paperwork. A car imported into the UK may need extra checks.

Recalls and the government check

We did not run the government recall checker, because it needs a registration number or the make, model and year, and we are not looking at a specific car. The page says a registration number check shows safety recalls that have not been checked or fixed, and that the manufacturer tells you about non-safety recalls. We found no recall notice for the GLC 63 S Coupe in any source, and absence from our sources is not a clean bill of health. Before you buy, enter the registration into the official checker and ask a Mercedes-Benz dealer to run the vehicle identification number for open campaigns.

About the photograph

The picture at the top of this page shows a 2020 model year GLC 63 S Coupe on a show stand at the 2019 New York International Auto Show, so it is a facelift car. The photographer is Kevauto, and the image is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons. We cropped and resized it and made no other change. No number plate is visible and no people appear in it.

Verdict

The GLC 63 S Coupe in this guide is a 503 bhp (510 PS, 375 kW), 700 Nm, 3.8 second 0-100 km/h, all-wheel drive coupe-styled SUV with a published top speed of 280 km/h, subject to the footnote above, and about two tonnes of kerb weight. It is quick and the V8 is its best feature, but the contemporary road test faulted the ride, the gearbox and the cabin. If you are shopping for one, pin down the generation and the speed limiter, insist on a full history, run the recall check, and use a specialist inspection. We have not driven it, so use the sources and a proper inspection to decide.