Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic evaluate

Mercedes has changed the acquainted 4.0-liter V8 engine with a high-performance Plug-in Hybrid based mostly on an engine with solely 4 cylinders. Did the transplant work? Check with probably the most highly effective GLC ever, Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4Matic with 680 PS and 1020 Nm.

Photograph: Adrian Barbu

The English have a saying: “No alternative for displacement”, which says very clearly that displacement can’t get replaced by something. The previous-generation AMG GLC had below the hood the acquainted 4.0-liter V8 that developed as much as 510 PS and 700 Nm. However a WLTP gasoline consumption of 10.7 l/100 km and emissions of 244 g/km CO2 would imply enormous emissions penalties in the present day, not less than in Europe, so Mercedes, like different producers, needed to search for methods to impress the powertrain whereas sustaining high efficiency. The answer is a PHEV propulsion system referred to as the P3 Hybrid. In a nutshell, the technical description is as follows: below the hood works the M139l 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, longitudinally positioned, supercharged by a turbine electrically pushed by a small electrical motor solely 4 cm in diameter.

The rear axle is powered by a 204 PS electrical motor (109 PS steady output) mated to a two-speed automated transmission and a limited-lock differential. The electrical motor is powered by a 6.1 kWh (4.8 kWh internet) battery that prices as much as 3.7 kW. The 4-wheel drive system is variable, starting from 100% rear-wheel drive to 50/50% rear/entrance. Usually, the electrical motor transmits energy to the rear axle solely, but when the rear wheels are likely to spin, the electrical motor also can transmit torque to the entrance through the cardan shaft. There’s additionally all-wheel steering the place the rear wheels steer reverse to the entrance by 2.5 levels as much as 62 mph (100 kph) and in the identical path because the entrance wheels by 0.7 levels above 62 mph (100 kph).

Can the V8 get replaced?

First buyer impressions have been unfavorable. Michael Schiebe, AMG’s new boss, says the issue will not be the PHEV system however the truth that it’s based mostly on a 4-cylinder engine, and that’s why many shoppers begin with the mistaken preconception. What did we really feel?

We climb within the AMG seats upholstered in nappa leather-based with the AMG badge emblazoned on the headrests and seize the AMG Efficiency steering wheel wrapped in nappa leather-based and microfiber. We push the beginning button and begin electrical mode. 12 km is formally attainable with zero emissions, about 9 km in the actual world, but it surely’s not electrical vary the goal of the hybrid system, it’s dynamic efficiency. There may be additionally a B-mode for conserving battery vitality however we shouldn’t have a mode for charging the battery utilizing the thermal engine. The battery is charged by recovering braking vitality, on the socket with as much as 3.7 kW, or with a decrease pace when Sport or Sport+ modes are engaged.

The battery is just about by no means absolutely discharged, with round 25% accessible in virtually any scenario to energy the electrical motor. In Consolation mode, the traditional steel-spring adaptive suspension delivers a journey consolation that’s enviable for a supersport SUV shod with 21-inch wheels and low-profile tires. You’ll be able to really feel its agency but it surely elegantly negotiates quick bumps with out transmitting an excessive amount of to the inside. There are eight driving modes: Slippery, Particular person, B, Electrical, Consolation, and three-sport modes – Sport, Sport+, and Monitor Tempo. All modes have good graphics of the digital instrument cluster with particular informations.

We need to see the sporty aspect and press the Sport button. The 4 rectangular tailpipes contribute to a wealthy, baritone sound that has one thing of the standard AMG tone, with rumble on downshifts however with out the dramatic depth of the V8. So, the precise sound is current however not as intense, however not less than it’s pure and never artificially generated by way of audio system.

On start-up, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 4Matic accelerates rapidly however lacks the punch of the V8 engine, though the electrical motor helps the combustion engine from the primary second. On paper, although, the brand new AMG GLC 63 is faster: 3.5 seconds in comparison with 3.8 seconds within the earlier V8 mannequin, however that feeling is dampened by the truth that below exhausting acceleration you instantly really feel that solely 4 pistons are working below the hood and the two.0-liter engine has to push itself exhausting to speed up rapidly. And it’s a reminder of the British saying ‘no alternative for displacement’.

However the turbo’s response is past criticism as a result of the electrical turbine eliminates any turbo lag and it accelerates with vigor from the primary second. The 9-speed automated gearbox shifts easily in Consolation and rapidly in Sport/Sport+, and the imperfections of different AMG fashions have been eradicated right here due to the omnipresent torque and the electrical turbine that makes the combustion engine prepared for motion at any time, no matter gear.

Because the pace will increase, the variations with the V8 engine virtually disappear. That is actually the place prospects have a bias as a result of it’s exhausting to see any distinction from the previous V8 mannequin. However the scenario modifications once you get previous 5,500-6,000 rpm. Right here, the 4-cylinder engine lacks the previous V8’s typhoon-like explosion. Don’t take this to imply that the PHEV system is sluggish, but it surely’s not the identical feeling as a supersport mannequin, though the electrical motor continues to assist the combustion engine. The two-speed automated gearbox from the electrical motor shifts into second gear at 87 mph (140 kph) when reaches the 13,500 rpm rev restrict, and the electrical engine continues to assist propel the automotive.

With energetic stabilizer bars powered by motors related to a 48V community, the supersport SUV hardly leans out of corners in any respect and masks its huge 2,310 kg (5,093 lbs) weight very properly. Steering that visibly stiffens in Sport and Sport+ modes contributes decisively to the automotive’s agility and the sensation that the automotive is lighter than it appears on paper, being incisive with out being edgy, linear, and with superb suggestions. The AMG composite-disc braking system with 6-piston brake calipers and 396 mm entrance disks feels very highly effective however within the preliminary phases, the braking feels undersized because of the nonlinearity attributable to the change from regenerative braking to hydraulic braking.

However the 124,236 euros price ticket is a bit steep when you think about that it’s 35,000 euros greater than the AMG GLC 43 4Matic. When in comparison with the competitors, a BMW X4M with the M Competitors package deal with 510 PS and a extra noble inline-6 engine is available in at 107,300 euros, virtually 17,000 euros cheaper.