Mercedes C63 AMG S Test Drive Review

Mercedes C63 AMG S Review

Car Tested: Mercedes C63 AMG S; Road Test No. 716

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 1,73,81,067/-

The Mercedes C63 AMG S is a splendid car and the way it drives is just jaw-dropping awesome

Everyone has two sides. The first side is the one which we show to a certain set of people while we show the other side to another set of people. There are a lot of cars which have some character in them and I feel that cars too have different sides. Let’s take the Mercedes C-Class for example. We have always known the C to be a luxurious sedan which excels in comfort, looks suave, is efficient and offers a good balance of ride and handling. But what if it shows you its other side, the one which has sexier looks, feels like a complete beast to drive and offers far more sportier handling? So, ladies and gentlemen, here we have the latest gen Mercedes C63 AMG S.

Motor Quest: Mercedes has constantly been improving with its AMG range of vehicles. The older ones were known to be an absolute pleasure to drive and the new lot of vehicles that have arrived are even more better, giving a lot of serious competition to the M and RS range from BMW and Audi respectively.

Exteriors – The Mercedes C63 AMG S looks a lot different than the regular variants of the C-Class. The front and rear bumpers get a distinctive racy design while the smoked headlamps remind you of the sporty intentions of the car. You get huge 20-inch wheels running on low profile tyres. The front grille features a twin-slat design which the AMG emblem incorporated in it. The front fenders too get the V8 Bi-Turbo badges. The rear bumper comes with a diffuser and you also get quad exhaust pipes which spit out an orgasmic sound, but more on that later. Oh, and did I mention that the car also gets brake callipers that come in a contrasting shade, like the yellow ones on our test car?

Interiors – The same sporty theme is carried over to the interiors. The dashboard shares its layout with the regular C-Class but here it comes in a full black colour theme with aluminium inserts. The waterfall console at the centre gets a carbon fibre treatment while you also get an AMG steering wheel which feels great to hold. Along with that, you get an AMG instrument cluster which displays the usual set of information along with a nice Heads Up Display. The sports sedan also comes with racing seats which are by far some of the best seats I’ve sat in. Even the rear seats are a comfortable place to be in. The entire upholstery has been finished in Nappa premium leather. Other tiny sporty bits include aluminium pedals. Mercedes has also gone ahead and provided red seat belts since this is an AMG and this is certainly something you would want to show your friends!

Performance – The Mercedes C63 AMG S comes with a 4.0-litre V8 Bi-Turbo engine under the hood. The powerplant pumps out 510 horses between 5500-6250 RPM and 700 Newton metres of torque from 1750-4000 RPM. The engine is mated to a 7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT gearbox which is a single clutch unit and the car has a 0-100 km/hr timing of 4 seconds. Talking about the engine, it is an absolute beast to drive and responds to throttle inputs right from the word GO. Fire up the car and you instantly fall in love with the exhaust burble. I took it easy for the initial few kms to get used to the car and was astounded by the way the C63 responds to throttle inputs. Response is instantaneous and the car maintains good speed with just a light dab on the throttle.

The C63 AMG S is quick enough to scare all the other vehicles on Indian roads

Once I got used to the car, it was time to go bonkers. Slammed the throttle and the Mercedes just growled and flew on the road. The momentum with which it was gaining speed was actually scary. Since power is sent to the rear wheels, it is extremely easy to slide the tail out and that’s when the fun begins. You are allowed to have a pretty good amount of fun until the traction control kicks in just at the right time. 100 km/hr comes up in 3rd gear while the C63 touches the ton in top gear at a notch below 2000 RPM. Redline comes in at 7000 RPM and the car pulls very cleanly all the way while top speed is limited to 250 km/hr.

The exhaust has a very wild growl and is enough to wake up everyone in your neighbourhood. You get a bunch of driving modes to choose from – Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Race. The exhaust sounds the best in Sport+ and Race while it gets toned down a bit in the other two modes. In Comfort mode the car gives good performance while the steering and suspension feel more comfort oriented. Sport and Sport+ are best suited for highways when you want to give it the beans while Race mode is fun on empty curvy roads or on a track. The 7-speed gearbox does a pretty awesome job and gear shifts are done quickly without much lag. Fuel efficiency is something which should just not be on your mind while driving this.

Driving Dynamics – The C63 AMG S has excellent dynamics. The steering has brilliant feel and what amazing feedback it offers. As the speeds gather, the steering weighs up very beautifully. Even the suspension is nicely sorted. You get an AMG Ride Control suspension with adjustable adaptive damping. The rear axle also gets an AMG differential lock. Ride is a bit stiff as expected and bumps are felt inside the cabin at low speeds. At moderate to high speeds, the C63 tackles undulations with ease. Craters on the road need to be dealt with very carefully due to the low profile tyres as well as the front lip of the car. The C63 AMG runs a staggered set of tyres which have very nice levels of grip and the brakes have splendid bite too, thus making the C63 AMG S a superb car to drive around.

Safety and After Sales Service – The C63 AMG S comes with a plethora of safety features such as ATTENTION ASSIST, Adaptive Highbeam Assist, PRE-SAFE System, NECK-PRO Head Restraints, BAS, ESP, ASR, 7 airbags, Hill Start Assist and a lot more. Talking about after-sales service, we’ve said it a number of times that Mercedes has the best service among premium automakers and their service network is also widely spread.

Verdict – The Mercedes C63 AMG S is undoubtedly a brilliant package since it offers space for 4 passengers, comes with a loaded equipment list, has great dynamics and is a complete beast to drive with supercar levels of performance. The fact that it is a sleeper car means that it won’t attract too much unnecessary attention too. For someone who wants a fast car that is also practical and can be used daily, the Mercedes C63 AMG S makes just the perfect sense.

What’s Cool

* Looks super sexy and has just the perfect sporty elements
* AMG seats are supremely supportive, steering wheel feels great to hold
* The 4.0-litre V8 Bi-Turbo powerplant is orgasmic
* Brilliant dynamics and lots of drama

What’s Not So Cool

* Nothing to not like in the car!

Alternatives: BMW M3, Audi RS5

Testers’ Note:

Further Reading –

Mercedes C250 Diesel Review
Mercedes C220 Diesel Review
Mercedes C-Class Petrol Review
Mercedes C-Class vs BMW 3-Series vs Audi A4