Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Prepares To Debut Turbocharged 2.0-Liter Four-Cylinder Hybrid With 670 HP

Jul. 04, 2022 2:40 PM ET by Sebastian Cenizo Spy Shots / 1 Comment

The sporty crossover is about to be unveiled with a hybrid powertrain.

If you're a fan of the products that come out of Affalterbach, you may have been disappointed to hear that the new C63 will be powered by a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. On the flip side, this soulless setup will produce a stunning 670 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque in total. And, since the C-Class will share its platform and components with the GLC, we can expect the sportiest version of the crossover to get a similar powertrain, if not one with the same headline figures. We first saw spy shots of the GLC 63 back in October of last year, and at the time, there was plenty of camouflage on the car. Now, our spy photographers have caught a near-production test mule on camera, revealing most of the upcoming debutant's design.

Only a month ago, Mercedes revealed the 2023 GLC. With that in mind, we already have a pretty good idea of what the AMG-enhanced GLC 63 will look like. Looking at the prototype captured in these images, we get a clear look at the Panamericana grille that characterizes all AMGs of the modern age. The front bumper and rocker panels are hidden under a vinyl wrap, but we can still see that the design won't deviate from the language seen on existing AMG models. At the rear, a subtle roof spoiler and a lightly enhanced rear bumper are apparent, with the latter housing AMG's traditional quartet of squared exhaust tips.

Back to the performance credentials we touched on at the outset, we expect that the GLC 63 will get the M139 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. In the C63, we know that this engine has been tuned to deliver 473 hp on its own steam, which is exactly what you get in the "entry-level" BMW M3 without the Competition package. With the electric motor, this figure jumps to 670 horses, so BMW is going to need to make updates to its new M-enhanced crossovers if it wants to remain competitive. As evidenced by the charging port on the driver's rear quarter, this hybrid system will be making its way to the GLC 63 - it just remains to be seen how much performance AMG decides to offer here. The GLC 63 is expected to debut late this year as a 2023 model, and we doubt that the furry dice dangling from the rearview mirror will be an available option.