2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Models Gain MBUX Infotainment System, Fresh Look

The folks at Mercedes-AMG have updated their high-performance GLC lineup for 2020. Both the SUV and coupe models will debut at this week’s New York auto show, each one benefiting from numerous enhancements for the latest model year.

Not that these luxury vehicles needed any dressing up, but each version should gain new head and taillights, redesigned optional 21-inch wheels and reworked exhaust pipes. There’s also an AMG-specific grille with vertical black slats. S models gain matte silver accents and rear bumper diffuser fins. Graphite Grey Metallic is a freshly available paint color.

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More substantively, an electronically controlled locking differential is standard on every model, from the GLC 63 Coupe and SUV, to the ultra-high-performance S version of the Coupe. There’s a new dynamic handling mode with up to four settings and, of course, the automaker’s slick new MBUX infotainment system has been added for 2020. An interior assistant is optional, which uses a 3-D camera to know where the driver or front passenger is reaching so the vehicle can offer, for instance, illumination support or simplified access to stored favorites.

Supporting that new infotainment system is an updated steering wheel with the automaker’s Touch Control buttons, perfect for manipulating MBUX. There’s also a new touchpad and a handy digital assistant that you summon by saying, “Hey, Mercedes!” Think of this as the automotive equivalent of Apple’s Siri or Amazon Alexa.

Inside, you’ll find standard MB-Tex-covered sport seats with Dinamica microfiber trim, though S models also gain a performance steering wheel, AMG badges on front headrests and a special instrument cluster with red accents.

Adaptive air suspension is standard across the board, as is 4Matic+ all-wheel drive, which provides variable torque distribution between the front and rear axles. Motorists can tweak how this system performs, as there are up to six different drive programs: Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. S models also gain a Race mode for maximum performance.

All AMG versions of the GLC 63 are powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8. In standard form, this powerplant cranks out 469 horsepower with 479 pound-feet of torque. Opt for an S model and each of those figures grows to 503 and 516, respectively. These higher-caliber models also feature dynamic engine mounts for greater performance and refinement. But no matter the potency, each of these engines is hand-assembled in Affalterbach, Germany by master technicians.

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An AMG Speedshift nine-speed automatic transmission routes torque to the pavement. It features a wet clutch pack instead of a torque converter, an arrangement that’s supposedly lighter and more responsive. This gearbox helps the GLC 63 blast to 60 miles an hour in 3.8 seconds. The S variant can do the same deed in as little as 3.6. Top speed is 155 miles an hour (250 km/h) for the “standard” model, 174 (280 km/h) for the S.