Phew, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Coupe has arrived, AMG’s first hybrid SUV Coupe

Clearly addressing longstanding criticism that it fails to cater to a broader demographic due to a limited number of models, Mercedes-AMG has ventured into the hitherto unknown world of performance SUV Coupes with this.

This is the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 Coupe, the marque’s first ever hybrid SUV Coupe. It is big. It is powerful. And, actually yes, we’ve all been here before.

“We are addressing customers who are looking for a sporty lifestyle and dynamic design coupled with impressive performance,” explains AMG boss Michael Schiebe. Perhaps underselling it a tad there on that latter note, chief.

Because while both cars – the GLC 43 and GLC 63 – get a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the latter is more turbocharged, extracting 470bhp which, says AMG, makes it the most powerful production four-pot in the world. That’s allied to an electric motor on the rear axle and a high-performance 6.1kWh battery to create a total system output of 671bhp.

As such, the four-wheel-drive GLC 63 is capable of a 0-62mph time of 3.5s and 170mph top speed. The 43 is no slouch, mind: with 415bhp, it’ll still crack 62mph in 4.8s. That said, the 63 is able to run for about 7.5 miles in electric-only mode, silently removing the GLC 63 from residential areas.

Naturally, customers looking for a sporty lifestyle and impressive performance will be relieved to learn both cars get a nine-speed AMG ‘Speedshift’ auto ‘box with various modes including RACE START (their caps, not ours), along with a plethora of chassis aids to sharpen up their two-tonne SUV Coupe.

Things like ride control featuring steel springs and adaptive dampers available in three settings (comfort, sport, sport+). Optional active roll stabilisation. Three-stage speed-sensitive steering, and standard rear-axle steering. AMG brakes. An AMG exhaust. And, turning to the whole ‘dynamic design’ bit, an AMG suit.

This, mercifully, comprises a new front apron, wheel arch trims and side skirts, massive wheels, and a new rear apron. Inside there’s lots of leather, Merc’s ‘MBUX’ infotainment setup, and even a ‘Track Pace’ data logger. Because of course.

There’s an ‘Edition 1’ available on launch – as is the norm for Merc’s AMG cars – which gets a special paintjob and more exclusive features pertaining to the alloys and calipers and interior trimmings and so forth. No word on prices on any of the cars as yet, but one suspects they’ll be rather popular, Merc breaching this brave new ground of performance SUV Coupes.