The march of progress continues, and that means another AMG model losing its big engine options.
After we saw the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance, it was only a matter of time before the technology made its way into the AMG house’s SUVs. Now, that’s exactly what we have here, thanks to the brand-new Mercedes-AMG GLC’s debut Tuesday. The highlights of today’s debut are the gasoline-only GLC 43 as well as the hybrid GLC 63 S E Performance — Mercedes’ first implementation of its four-pot hybrid powerplant in its high-riding models.
Like the revised GLC-Class, the AMG models bring in a host of styling tweaks from the previous model. It’s no radical departure from how the old GLC looked, of course, but it is physically larger than the car it replaces. Like you’d expect from any AMG, these new models bring in a far more aggressive front fascia, as well as the vertically slatted grille and powertrain badging.
On the entry-level end of the spectrum, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 sticks with a gasoline engine. It’s not just any gas engine, though, as this SUV uses the 2.0-liter M139 four-cylinder unit, that pumps out 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. While that does lose a bit of torque from the old GLC 43’s 3.0-liter V6, it actually gains 31 horsepower. As a result, according to Mercedes’ specs, the new GLC 43 should still manage the 0-60 sprint in 4.7 seconds. You still also get all-wheel drive as standard fare (naturally).
Miss the twin-turbo V8? Check out these numbers…
Although the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 is the more accessible model, it’s not the one folks typically talk about. That would be the GLC 63 and 63 S, each of which packed a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 in the past generation. Now, you get half as much displacement.
Before you stomp off in anger, though, Mercedes-AMG didn’t leave power fanatics high and dry. The 2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance (yes, it’s coming as a 2025 model — more on that in a moment) still uses the M139 engine, but this time it gets an electric motor on the rear axle for added oomph. The result delivers a combined 671 horsepower and stratospheric 752 lb-ft of torque. Or, to put it in perspective, 168 more horsepower and 236 lb-ft more torque than the old V8.
Sticking with that electric motor for a moment, it’s fed by a 400-volt battery pack derived from the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team. So, if the numbers alone don’t impress, there’s an opportunity to show off a bit by saying your car has F1 technology. The GLC 63 S E Performance can also allocate power from the gas engine between a 50/50 front/rear split and up to 100% toward the rear. Six-piston brake calipers with 15.4-inch ventilated and cross-drilled rotors feature up front (the GLC 43 gets four-piston units), while you get a single-piston floating caliper in the rear.
Both cars use a 9-speed automatic transmission, though Mercedes-AMG uses a wet multi-disc start-off clutch in place of a traditional torque converter. That lowers weight and, per Mercedes’ statement, improves throttle response and “ensures extremely short shift times” as well as fast multiple downshifts. The 201-horsepower electric motor can propel the car on its own “under certain conditions”, though it’s plainly meant to boost performance, since it pulls from a small 6.1-kWh battery. The electric motor uses a two-speed transmission of its own to enable its use above 87 mph.
Speaking of speed, Mercedes-Benz says the GLC 63 S E Performance can make the 0-60 rn in 3.4 seconds. From 60 onward, it can accelerate to an electronically limited top speed of 171 mph.
What about luxury?
In terms of interior accoutrements, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and 2025 GLC 63 S E Performance don’t stray from formula. You get an AMG-branded steering wheel with leather and Alcantara, as well as AMG pages on the MBUX infotainment system. The dual-screen setup, switchgear layout and creature comforts largely mirror those in the standard GLC models. However, Mercedes does feature an AMG-specific “Supersport” style for the infotainment system, laying out driver information in a vertical format, like suspension and transmission settings, rather than your usual climate controls. A head-up display is optional.
Pricing for the new Mercedes-AMG GLC models is not out yet, but we should have more information in the coming months. The GLC 43 will arrive for the 2024 model year, but we won’t see the hybrid GLC 63 S E Performance until the 2025 model year, so we’ll have to wait quite a while longer to get more specific pricing on that version. As it stands right now, the outgoing GLC 43 Coupe with the V6 engine starts at $68,200, so it’s almost certain the new one will start just over $70,000.
