Americans love SUVs. And powerful engines. Americans also love absurdly fast acceleration. But, Americans don’t love compromise. So, if you were an automaker with an absurdly fast midsize SUV featuring a brutally powerful engine that didn’t compromise on space, you’d sell it here, right?
Oddly, until now, Mercedes-Benz didn’t. But that’s about to change. The 2022 AMG GLC 63 S is bringing most of the alphabet to America. The most powerful version of Mercedes’ midsize SUV will probably cost a little over $80,000 (though pricing hasn’t been announced yet) and reaches dealerships in the fourth quarter of 2021.
A bit of explanation: The 2022 GLC is Mercedes’ midsize SUV, built on the platform of the excellent C-Class sedan. It offers comfort for five adults, one of the most luxurious cabins in its class, and a supple ride. It’s always been available in the U.S. We also get a high-performance model from AMG, Mercedes’ in-house performance shop, and an even higher-performance AMG GLC 63, good for 469 horsepower.
But overseas, Mercedes builds an even more powerful version, the AMG GLC 63 S. It breathes fire, makes 503 horsepower, and gets from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. The S has the grip of 4Matic all-wheel-drive. It once beat a BMW M3 around Germany’s most famous race track and still can transport your mother on a nice day out.
Mercedes takes building these cars so seriously that, the company explains, “one highly skilled technician assembles each GLC 63 S engine in Affalterbach according to the ‘one man — one engine’ principle.” So, if anything goes wrong, you can blame one specific German.
For some reason, Mercedes has never sold it here — only the less-utilitarian GLC Coupe version in 63 S form. For 2022, they will offer that monster version for the standard GLC SUV.
The AMG GLC 63 S will come standard with AMG DYNAMIC SELECT drive modes and AMG RIDE CONTROL+ air suspension with adaptive damping for maximum cornering control. Its exhaust system has butterfly valves the driver can open or close to change the engine’s volume. Inside, it has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Mercedes’ MBUX interface system.
Options will include carbon fiber accents inside and out, an aerodynamics package, and upgraded performance seats.
