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    GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

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    The new GLC 63S AMG is finally in my garage.

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    My daughter discovered a little blind passenger, I had to "hunt" him for five minutes, so he would leave the engine compartment (no, the mouse or rat Smiley wasn't inside the car, thank god). Smiley Our car has now a nickname: Mickey. Smiley

    Drove to the dealer today to make sure that little fellow didn't do any damage in the engine compartment but it seems he might have hopped on when we stopped in a tunnel for a couple of minutes.

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    First impressions:

    1. Definitely feels a little bit less sporty than the E63 S, especially in curves but the difference is surprisingly small and the steering feels a tiny bit more direct and connected to my surprise.

    2. Sounds better than the E63 S at idle and at lower revs (keep in mind that I had two software updates for my E63 S, muting the sound twice from it's original state when I picked up the car Smiley), it has that typical deep V8 growl, very similar to my wife's C63 S Convertible Facelift but can't say much about mid range and higher revs since I have to run in the car for 1500 km (actually 3000 km).

    3. Car is pretty quiet inside, you can barely hear the tires (I already have winter tires, unfortunately not the Michelin Alpin 6 I saw at the dealership but the not so bad either Alpin 5 SUV) but despite the noise insulated side windows (front only), the deep engine growl is always present, which is nice.

    4. MBUX (Mercedes' new infotainment system) is state of the art, the best system I ever used in a car. Touch responsiveness is amazingly fast, similar to an iPad (almost), system is very fast too and the "Hey Mercedes" function where you can use regular language to ask for special functions works very well. "Hey Mercedes, I'm hot" Smiley and the system lowers the temperature in the car". "Hey Mercedes, turn of the heated seats" and the system turns on the heated seats. It is a very good system with a very good recognition rate, no learning or special expressions/words necessary, very similar to Siri, Cortana, etc.. Basically every MBUX option is available in my GLC with the exception of the DAB (HD Radio) and Office. The DAB option costs almost 300 EUR and it is ridiculous that Mercedes is asking money for it. Why? The hardware is already there, you just need to "unlock" it through the Mercedes Me portal and pay for it. Also, next year, DAB becomes a standard in the EU, so all new cars need to have it. 

    I also updated the Navigation charts to the latest version, the dealership did all the necessary system/infotainment/nav charts updates but apparently there were completely new charts available. Over 17GB of data, updated with a pretty unusual method because the car doesn't have an USB 2.0/3.0 port or SD Card slot anymore, only two USB C slots. 

    Smiley

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    MBUX is, like I said, absolutely great but there are two (minor) issues with it: There is no wireless CarPlay and to use some of the integrated internet services (internet radio for example), you need a Vodafone InCarInternet Account (the basic features work with the integrated SIM card over 4G though). Not really an issue but to register for InCarInternet at Vodafone, you need to identify yourself (I already have an account from my old car but it didn't help) and the only way to do that is through a video conference. Stupid system. Would it be so difficult to initiate the account and register it to the car's owner, without identification? I get it, anti-terror laws but hey, why make this stuff so complicated?!

    The AR (Augmented Reality) feature for the navigation system is genius, it works very well and really helps. Even shows house numbers, crazy. Very fast too, the GPS works very well on this car.

    The optional Burmester HiFi system sounds OK but surprisingly a little bit less good than the same system (there is a second and better Burmester available for the E class) in my E63. It lacks a bit of "dynamic" in the lower volume range.

    5. Build quality: Build quality is overall great but as I found out, this car was produced for a rental car company and they chose to order every possible infotainment and drive assist option but were very "cheap" on leather stuff. Meaning: The fake leather with fake alcantara looks a little bit out of place in this price class, even if the quality seems to be top notch. Maybe it is just me, switching from a Nappa leather equipped E63 to this one. Smiley

    6. Brakes feel better than expected, I had some fears coming from the ceramic brakes on the E63. Can't say much about fading or whatever but so far, I am happy with how the feel and work.

    So is it fun to drive, especially coming from an E63? The answer is easy: Yes, it is but it feels different. Sporty but different and the E63 chassis was definitely stiffer (and more uncomfortable) in the sportier chassis modes, no doubt about it. There also seems to be a bit more side-roll in the GLC but I haven't driven it in the sportier driving modes yet, just in the sportier chassis modes, so I'm not sure this is the same setup.

    Right now, I can see only one downside of the GLC 63 S AMG: It seems to eat around 2 l / 100 km more fuel. Maybe the car is new but I remember how much the E63 S consumed during it's run-in period and it was definitely less than the GLC 63 S. The fuel tank is also smaller on the GLC 63 S, so I guess I will have around 100-200 km less total range. Not really an issue, range is (according to the GLC system) around 500 km (during run-in period I guess Smiley).

    Oh, I love the size of the GLC63 S, it feels smaller than the E63, especially in the city. Due to the higher seating position, it offers an excellent visibility as well. Leg room in the rear is a little bit shorter than in the E63 but my kids didn't really complaint. They were only missing the USB charging ports in the rear but you can order them as an option for the GLC (my car doesn't have them).

    More to come over the next couple of months. Smiley

     

    UPDATE 1: Mercedes offers through the MBUX system one year of TIDAL music streaming service for free. It is possible to stream directly from the MBUX, no need for a smartphone. Unfortunately, TIDAL is free but you need to pay for the data streaming per se, MBUX cannot use the data plan of your smartphone for example. There is a 4G SIM card built-in into MBUX but only a few Mercedes services (like weather or live traffic navigation, etc.) are free of cost, for everything else, including TIDAL, you need a data plan. Vodafone asks for 20 EUR for 10 GB per month, which isn't that bad but to register, you need to do that personally (at a specific Vodafone location) or through an ID verification video chat. I get it, anti-terror laws and all but couldn't they have made this a bit easier?!

    The car is officially registered to a specific owner, so why cannot the SIM card be registered to the same owner during or shortly after the car registration process? Makes no sense. Vodafone shouldn't be surprised if they barely sell this service in Germany, it is just too annoying to register (I already registered two years ago, so no problem but for new users, this is really not easy peasy). I'm not sure if 10 GB data are enough to use MBUX as a WiFi hotspot as well, I think 20 GB of data for 30 EUR per month would make more sense overall. 


    --

     

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes E63 S AMG Edition 1 (2018), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)

     


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    RC:

    First impressions:

    5. Build quality: Build quality is overall great but as I found out, this car was produced for a rental car company and they chose to order every possible infotainment and drive assist option but were very "cheap" on leather stuff. Meaning: The fake leather with fake alcantara looks a little bit out of place in this price class, even if the quality seems to be top notch. Maybe it is just me, switching from a Nappa leather equipped E63 to this oneSmiley

    Artico leather, which is definitely a No-No on high end specced cars such as AMG models.


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Congrats RC!

    You mention AR... how does that work, project stuff on the windscreen? Also on the side windows? Or only on a small heads-up display?

    Cheers Joost


    --


    Porsche, separates Le Mans from Le Boys


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Joost:

    Congrats RC!

    You mention AR... how does that work, project stuff on the windscreen? Also on the side windows? Or only on a small heads-up display?

    Cheers Joost

    AR is displayed on the navigation display, see this short video (of course it looks much better in reality).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd9ejI7Gpxg&t=29s

    It makes more sense (for now) since people already look at their navigation display when they entered an address.


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes E63 S AMG Edition 1 (2018), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    That's actually quite cool, never seen it before.


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Congrats Christian wink

    Sorry to go off topic but is the little guy ok? did he get away ok?


    --

    ⇒ Carlos - Porsche 991 Carrera GTS


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Carlos from Spain:

    Congrats Christian wink

    Sorry to go off topic but is the little guy ok? did he get away ok?

    Yes, I tried to be gentle with that little fellow but the problem was that he (she?) wasn't afraid of me at all, so I had to "chase" that little fellow around for quite some while before he (she?) jumped away from the car. The engine was warm, it was cold outside, I understand why that little fellow didn't want to leave. Smiley
    I never killed an animal in my entire life and certainly not such a cute little fellow. Smiley


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes E63 S AMG Edition 1 (2018), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Josef:

    That's actually quite cool, never seen it before.

    I was quite surprised how well this AR navigation stuff works...I turned off the HUD because I'm not a fan of HUD systems for cars but this AR stuff is great. Smiley Finally someone who came up with something useful for AR. Smiley

    MBUX is really very advanced, I think this system should get more attention in the media.


    --

     

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes E63 S AMG Edition 1 (2018), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)

     


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    RC:
    Carlos from Spain:

    Congrats Christian wink

    Sorry to go off topic but is the little guy ok? did he get away ok?

    Yes, I tried to be gentle with that little fellow but the problem was that he (she?) wasn't afraid of me at all, so I had to "chase" that little fellow around for quite some while before he (she?) jumped away from the car. The engine was warm, it was cold outside, I understand why that little fellow didn't want to leave. Smiley
    I never killed an animal in my entire life and certainly not such a cute little fellow. Smiley

    SmileySmileySmiley


    --

    ⇒ Carlos - Porsche 991 Carrera GTS


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Ah, thanks for the explanation Christian! Wasn't aware of this application of AR, but it does make sense.
    I started with a project to test with AR in parts production in our factory the other day. Saw the first demos for our application with the Microsoft Hololens last month. Very impressive and very promising for the future. If you haven't seen it in real life, it is hard to imagine what is possible already. Cool to see comparable techniques applied in the real world!


    --


    Porsche, separates Le Mans from Le Boys


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Joost:

    Ah, thanks for the explanation Christian! Wasn't aware of this application of AR, but it does make sense.
    I started with a project to test with AR in parts production in our factory the other day. Saw the first demos for our application with the Microsoft Hololens last month. Very impressive and very promising for the future. If you haven't seen it in real life, it is hard to imagine what is possible already. Cool to see comparable techniques applied in the real world!

    I fully agree. Smiley It is actually the first time I see an application making sense, all the other AR stuff I've seen so far was either some games or something related to architecture/construction. 

    I can actually see some very valuable applications in medicine where AR could change how surgeries are done and improve safety substantially. Smiley I wish I had the brains to help develop this stuff, it will be a game changer for sure.


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes E63 S AMG Edition 1 (2018), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Thanks for your usual in depth review, even your short ones are very informative.  But - for non German speakers, what is the German for "hey" when you talk to the system, just in case my next rental is one of these?  Because I can't believe a German car in Germany would use the English slang "hey" like Apple does....  could it?  yes


    --

    2017 Range Rover Sport S/C,  2019 Porsche 911 Turbo


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    4trac:

    Thanks for your usual in depth review, even your short ones are very informative.  But - for non German speakers, what is the German for "hey" when you talk to the system, just in case my next rental is one of these?  Because I can't believe a German car in Germany would use the English slang "hey" like Apple does....  could it?  yes

    Thank you! 😎

    Actually, "hey" is used in the German language in a similar way it is used in English, no kidding.


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes GLC63 S AMG (2020), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Update in short: Car has almost 5000 km now, I couldn't be happier, no issues at all.

    Today I got a thumbs up from a Tesla 3 Performance driver and his wife/girlfriend. Surprisingly, I was ahead of him by half a car length from the start and then very(!) slowly moved away. We had to brake at 100 kph because of the speed limit. The Tesla driver wouldn't believe the car is stock, both showed thumbs up, very nice people. We actually stopped a talked (through the windows, corona and all), they got the Tesla 3 Performance because to them, it is the cheapest best performing "family car" in this class and I have to say I agree with their assessment. 60k EUR for such a performance, really great.  

    The facelifted GLC63 S AMG is really fast and very stealth. Sound is good, considering the particulate filter and new sound emissions laws.

    Speaking of sound emissions laws: My wife's C63 S AMG Convertible was at the dealership a few weeks ago for inspection and now it is...quieter. mail Dealer said the car was connected to the Mercedes "tester" and it is likely it received a software update. I explicitly forbid such updates, they have this on file but apparently the update was executed automatically while they were running diagnostics. No more AMG Mercedes for me, sorry.


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes GLC63 S AMG (2020), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Range Rover Evoque Si4 Black Edition (2019)


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    If you want to listen to Tidal music on your car offline, then you can use the tool DRmare Tidal Music Downloader to help you. With it, you can easily get Tidal music for offline playing in your car and other devices.


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    Is it Mercedes AMG or the socialists running the EU? Companies have to heed to their new master and it isn’t the consumer.  


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    RC:

    Update in short: Car has almost 5000 km now, I couldn't be happier, no issues at all.

    Today I got a thumbs up from a Tesla 3 Performance driver and his wife/girlfriend. Surprisingly, I was ahead of him by half a car length from the start and then very(!) slowly moved away. We had to brake at 100 kph because of the speed limit. The Tesla driver wouldn't believe the car is stock, both showed thumbs up, very nice people. We actually stopped a talked (through the windows, corona and all), they got the Tesla 3 Performance because to them, it is the cheapest best performing "family car" in this class and I have to say I agree with their assessment. 60k EUR for such a performance, really great.  

    The facelifted GLC63 S AMG is really fast and very stealth. Sound is good, considering the particulate filter and new sound emissions laws.

    Speaking of sound emissions laws: My wife's C63 S AMG Convertible was at the dealership a few weeks ago for inspection and now it is...quieter. mail Dealer said the car was connected to the Mercedes "tester" and it is likely it received a software update. I explicitly forbid such updates, they have this on file but apparently the update was executed automatically while they were running diagnostics. No more AMG Mercedes for me, sorry.

    I'm afraid it's not just AMG Smiley


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    I have said it in the past and maybe I didn't mean it that way all the time but now I am 100% sure: No more AMG for me.

    Here is the story why:

    A few days ago, I received a letter in the mail. I have to urgently contact my Mercedes dealer because...hold your breath...I need new CoC papers (European car owners and dealers know what this means).

    This basically means that the car has to be newly certified, it is not legal to drive it anymore. This is a highly unusual thing, that a car needs a re-certification after it has been sold. 

    The reason according to Mercedes: The CO2 output and fuel consumption values in the "old" CoC document are false.

    Now one would say "so what is the problem, let them give you a new CoC document and you're good", right? Wrong.

    The re-certification also requires a software update for the ECU. You can guess what this means: Exactly. Less power/boost pressure at certain rev figures to push CO2 output and fuel consumption down.

    I am done with Mercedes. First those exhaust sound games and now this? No thanks.


    --

    RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), Mercedes GLC63 S AMG (2020), Mercedes C63 S AMG Cab (2019), Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (2019 EU)


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    RC:

    I have said it in the past and maybe I didn't mean it that way all the time but now I am 100% sure: No more AMG for me.

    Here is the story why:

    A few days ago, I received a letter in the mail. I have to urgently contact my Mercedes dealer because...hold your breath...I need new CoC papers (European car owners and dealers know what this means).

    This basically means that the car has to be newly certified, it is not legal to drive it anymore. This is a highly unusual thing, that a car needs a re-certification after it has been sold. 

    The reason according to Mercedes: The CO2 output and fuel consumption values in the "old" CoC document are false.

    Now one would say "so what is the problem, let them give you a new CoC document and you're good", right? Wrong.

    The re-certification also requires a software update for the ECU. You can guess what this means: Exactly. Less power/boost pressure at certain rev figures to push CO2 output and fuel consumption down.

    I am done with Mercedes. First those exhaust sound games and now this? No thanks.

    Another reason I am pleased to be away from the EU commission bureaucrats, I got the recall from Mercedes for my Vito 119, as you say they will give me a nice FOC ECU calibration ie a de-tune.

    Since my engine is running a bespoke tune I declined and am having it serviced outside the official network, thankfully there is no legal requirement although this is likely an oversight by our tree hugging government Smiley 


    --

     

     

    997 GT2 2014 3.9 Mezger, 800PS @ 1.2 bar

    2021 McLaren 765LT incoming 

    993 Turbo, 2006 built 3.8, 577PS/797NM, 1440kg DIN sold to a worthy enthusiast.


    Re: GLC 63S AMG Facelift (2020) - Short review (in progress)

    RC:

    I have said it in the past and maybe I didn't mean it that way all the time but now I am 100% sure: No more AMG for me.

    Here is the story why:

    A few days ago, I received a letter in the mail. I have to urgently contact my Mercedes dealer because...hold your breath...I need new CoC papers (European car owners and dealers know what this means).

    This basically means that the car has to be newly certified, it is not legal to drive it anymore. This is a highly unusual thing, that a car needs a re-certification after it has been sold. 

    The reason according to Mercedes: The CO2 output and fuel consumption values in the "old" CoC document are false.

    Now one would say "so what is the problem, let them give you a new CoC document and you're good", right? Wrong.

    The re-certification also requires a software update for the ECU. You can guess what this means: Exactly. Less power/boost pressure at certain rev figures to push CO2 output and fuel consumption down.

    I am done with Mercedes. First those exhaust sound games and now this? No thanks.

    A sad story indeed.  I am afraid this is where it will be going now everywhere albeit at different speeds.... governments will not only be pushing tax incentives to buy EVs, but also push disincentives to stay with ICE cars.


    --

    2017 Range Rover Sport S/C,  2019 Porsche 911 Turbo


     
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