Mercedes-AMG GLC63 And GLC63 S Coupe Bring The SUV Noise To NYC

AMG's tendrils already extend far and wide into the Mercedes-Benz family of cars and SUVs, but the Silver Star's in-house tuning arm unveil two new siblings at the 2017 New York Auto Show in form of the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 and GLC63 S Coupe.

It was almost a given that both of these recent family-oriented entries would receive their own top-tier treatment from AMG, given the popularity of the two sport-utility vehicles and the profits associated with high margin, high-output special models. As with other '63' AMG vehicles, the GLC and the GLC S Coupe are each recipients of the powerful 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that has already impressed. In this case it pushes out 469 horsepower for the GLC and a whopping 503 ponies for the GLC S Coupe, and in both SUVs that grunt is fed to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Mercedes-Benz claims a 0-60-mph time of 3.9 seconds for the GLC63, with the GLC63 S Coupe lopping off 0.2 seconds from that measure. Suspension upgrades are of course also part of the package in order to corral the not-insubstantial weight of the SUVs, and inside and out there are unique styling and trim updates that shout to the world that these are no ordinary commuters.

The decision to affix the S to the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S Coupe is an interesting one, and points to a different product philosophy at the brand as compared its German peers. With its sloping roofline and less practical (and pricier) character, the GLC S Coupe is position as the sportier of the two even without AMG intervention, so the extra power makes sense from a marketing perspective. Not that anyone forced to select the roomier GLC63 will be complaining all that much on their way to an expensive traffic ticket picking up the kids from school.