Turbo Lag Cured: The 2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance

Regular readers will remember my largely positive review of the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 in November of that year.

Basically, I said that if you're not looking for a three-row SUV, the GLC was "the Goldilocks equation"---a just-right size.

The only issue I had with the GLC 300 was that, unless the drive mode was in "Sport", the turbo lag was brutal---a solid second and a half to two seconds between putting my right foot down on the floor and the response from the engine room.

The GLC 300 defaults to its normal drive setting everytime you turn it off. So you'd have to manually set it to "Sport" every time you start it up. Or---you could loosen the purse strings and take the GLC in AMG form---the GLC 63 S E Performance.

Both have 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The GLC 300 makes 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

The GLC 63? 671 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque. The magic comes from what AMG calls a "permanently-excited" synchronous electric motor. You'll be permanently excited, too. Zero to 60 happens in 3.1 seconds.

Oh, and it's a plug-in hybrid.

This is a big leap for Mercedes-Benz and AMG. Through 2021, the GLC 63 was powered by a twin-turbo V8. That was good for 503 horsepower, 0-60 in 3.6 and an EPA fuel economy estimate of 15 city/22 highway.

Plugging in doesn't deliver significant pure electric range in this vehicle (the window sticker says only one mile), but the percentage of power coming from the electric motor absolutely improves the fuel economy. Don't plug it in and the EPA says you're looking at 20 miles per gallon. Charge it and that leaps to 31 MPGe.

Being an AMG vehicle, there are a lot of additional performance bits, too, including an AMG SPEEDSHIFT 9-speed automatic transmission, AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive, AMG RIDE CONTROL suspension with adaptive damping, 2.5-degree rear axle steering and an AMG-enhanced braking system.

It is startlingly, brutally fast---yet always feels composed and under control.

All that power and wizardry come at a price, of course. In this case, $86,050 ($87,200 with delivery), or only a little shy of double the base price of the GLC 300.

Everything that's standard on that car is standard here, including dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless go and keyless start, an 11.9-inch center touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, power heated front seats with lumbar support, driver-side memory, rain-sensing wipers and ambient interior lighting. And then there's the AMG-specific content---a panorama roof, AMG Performance steering wheel with shift paddles, AMG illuminated door sills, a trial of Sirius XM Platinum, a piano black lacquer center console, high-performance tires and a solid suite of active safety features.

If that sounds just this side or the other of reasonable, hang on. Because our car had a little over $28,000 in extra-cost options. The MANUFAKTUR Cirrus Silver Magno paint is $3,250, the AMG Nappa leather in Titanium Gray Pearl and black is $2,590. AMG carbon fiber trim adds $975.

The AMG high-performance ceramic composite braking system is $4,200, the 21-inch AMG black multi-spoke wheels are $2,850 and AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL roll stabilization is $3,400.

There's also the Driver Assistance Package ($1,950), AMG Performance Seat Package Advanced ($3,700), AMG Design Package ($4,000) and the AMG Night Package Plus ($1,300).

And that adds up to $115,415.

I've said it before---unless you have that kind of money, you can't really answer the question "Is it worth it?". And I don't. But I can tell you that in absolute terms the 2025 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance is a big fat thrill to drive. And that's hard to put a price tag on.