Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe Test Drive Review

Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe Review

Car Tested: 2015 Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe; Road Test No. 619

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 3,27,51,664/-

The Mercedes S63 AMG is expensive but very special with high levels of comfort & performance

The letter S is very important in Germany because it defines what is often referred to as the best car in the world, the same letter also keeps car companies from Inglostadatt and Bavaria alert because the S-Class takes the luxury car segment to new heights with every generation. But there is more to the S-Class than basking in the opulence offered by the rear bench, enter the S-Class Coupe and this one has AMG badges on it! This 2-door S63 you see here is the result of luxury and performance coming together in one irresistible package. Time to ogle!

Motor Quest: The S63 AMG replaces the CL63 AMG in Mercedes’ line-up. The car is positioned as a luxury grand tourer with the first generation model launched globally in 1992. Production of the CL63 AMG was stopped in 2013 as the S-Class AMG coupe (codename C217) took over from 2014. The CL63 AMG wasn’t sold in India while the S63 AMG was launched earlier this year via the CBU route. The S63 AMG’s main rivals are the Audi RS7 and BMW M6 in India.

Exteriors – The Mercedes S-Class has always carried understated elegance but in the S63 AMG Coupe guise, it transforms its image into a car which invites unending stares. The front-end is unmistakable S but now flanked with the AMG body kit for that sporty appeal while the side will make you really appreciate the sporty coupe profile. But before looking around, one needs to closely stare at those headlights, there has to be something special, right? Of course there is because each headlight has 47 Swarovski crystals (30 for the turn indicator and 17 for the DRLs).

The S63 AMG has a very striking design, looks fast even when still

The side profile reveals the fastback proportions with the long bonnet, sloping roofline, 19-inch 10-spoke AMG wheels with red brake callipers and a short rear-end. There is no B-pillar and the long doors and windows use a frameless design which feel even better to use when the windows are down. The rear design is the eye-candy of the Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe and gives the car a very sporty feel, the number plate being neatly placed on the bumper while twin exhausts on each side given a hint of what powers this beast. There are quite a few chrome touches too like on the front bumper, around the window area and also on the boot where a strip runs across from above the LED tail lights. The rear bumper also has sport flaps for air to pass and there is a carbon-fibre finish diffuser too.

Interiors – The dashboard is familiar to the S-Class so the S63 AMG also gets two big screens, one for the digital instrument cluster while the one next to it in the centre is for the infotainment system, a slew of buttons separating them. And there are quite a few buttons inside this car, every place you look and there are some buttons there and that’s because the S63 AMG is loaded with a lot of tech including 360-degree parking cameras, night vision camera, navigation, 24-speaker Burmester sound system with an output of 1520 watts, hot stone massage, Designo leather pack (four leather options to choose from – black, crystal grey, brown, porcelain). The S63 Coupe gets an AMG steering wheel which is smaller, gripper to hold and gets perforations for a better feel. The car also gets Magic Sky Control wherein with a touch of a button, you can change the panoramic roof to a blue tint from clear, the roof doesn’t open though.

This S-Class turns the focus towards the driver with the front row offering luxury & sportiness

The Mercedes S-Class is known for its rear-seat experience but the S63 AMG focusses on the front seats instead of the rear. Thus, the rear seats are small and not of much use for adults and are best used by children. It’s also quite difficult to get into the rear seat although the front seats can be moved further ahead at a touch of a button but legroom is just lacking. There is good storage spaces on the inside and the COMAND system is fairly easy to use with the touch-pad. The seats are big and comfortable and once you sit inside, the seat belt holder automatically moves ahead to help you buckle up without stretching too much. The 400-litre boot isn’t of much use since Mercedes places its space saver spare wheel on the boot floor and not under it, thereby restricting trunk usage, there is an electric boot close button though.

Performance – And now comes the part which you and me are more interested in, after all, this is a twin-turbo AMG with 5.5-litres of displacement (this powerplant is on its way out), thrusting out 585 HP of power and 900 Nm of torque. The aforementioned figures might make you believe that the S63 AMG would scoot ahead like a falcon and it does so by achieving the 0-100 km/hr sprint in a mere 4.2 seconds. Turn on the car and the 8-cylinders do come to life with a rumble but that’s about the only sound you would be lucky enough to hear on the inside. That’s because the S63 AMG, being from the S-Class lineage, has a terrifically well insulated cabin which is a minus point for sure because you simply can’t hear much of the V8 motor even when you are hard on the gas.

The S63 AMG packs in massive thrust in the mid-range but is a bit muted for a performance car

The S63 AMG Coupe channels power to the rear wheels and going hard on the accelerator pedal does spin the wheels before the electronics kick in to keep the car pointing in the right direction. Mercedes also offers an all-wheel drive version of the S63 AMG Coupe which does the sprint to the ton in 3.9 seconds but is reserved to left-hand drive markets only. There is good performance throughout as peak torque is available right from 2250 RPM, up to 3750 RPM while peak power is achieved at 5500 RPM. The mid-range is strong and the top-end also packs in punch, the car redlining at under 6500 RPM. 100 km/hr comes up in second and in top gear at the same speed, the tacho ticks in at a low 1500 RPM.

In typical AMG fashion, there are three engine modes – C for Comfort (engine sound is hardly audible in this mode), M for Manual and S for Sports, the latter most giving the S63 AMG the most punch. The car won’t upshift in M mode and let’s you take control of things, although the console will suggest you to ‘UP’ shift. The 7-speed gearbox has decently quick shifts and although not the fastest around, has been tuned well to respond to throttle inputs. Top speed is limited to 250 km/hr and can be increased to 300 km/hr with the optional AMG Driver’s package. During our test, the best mileage we saw was 3.85 km/l, which coupled with the 80-litre fuel tank, doesn’t give this Mercedes car a big range.

Driving Dynamics – The Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe isn’t a sports car, it’s more of a grand tourer and weighs a hefty two tons. The vehicle doesn’t feel sporty to drive, it’s more comfort oriented with the cabin basking you in luxury, suggesting that you don’t pin it down corners hard. Like other AMGs, ESP can’t be turned off so while our test car with worn out tyres did show some tail happy behaviour, the electronics were quick to intervene. The S63 AMG comes with Magic Body Control which actively adjusts the hydraulic suspension while the Curve Titling technology (not offered on the 4MATIC model) perceives tilt, up to 2.5 degrees and corrects it by leaning like a motorcycle, thereby preventing body roll. The aim of this system is not to make handling sharper but the drive experience more comfortable.

The Mercedes S63 AMG is more of a tourer and munches the miles without any sort of effort at all

There are three driving modes on offer (or AMG Ride Control in Merc speak) – Comfort, Dynamic Curve and Sports which alter the suspension and steering. The suspension is on the stiffer side but still compliant enough for our roads and one can increase the ride height with a press of a button, so tackling speed-breakers is no worry at all, no need to take them at an angle. When cornering hard, the seat massages you on the side your body flexes, a neat touch indeed. The steering has good feel and offers feedback too, it’s not razor sharp though and is on the lighter side. Braking performance is strong and the S63 AMG sheds the speeds it comfortably manages in a flash. Stability is excellent even when you hit the double ton with wind and road noise kept out of bay.

Safety and After Sales Service – The Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe is a very safe car and comes with a slew of active and passive safety systems. There are 9 airbags on offer along with a slew of systems including ESP, Brake Assist, Cross-Traffic Assist, Attention Assist, Adaptive Brake, Collision Prevention Assist, Pre-Safe, City Brake, Traffic Sign Assist, Speed Limit Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Bonnet, Night View Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Parking Assist, Torque Vectoring Brake, Crosswind Assist, Magic Vision Control and a lot more. Mercedes has the largest sales and service network in India which is by far larger than its rivals.

Verdict – The Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe has excess of everything, whether it be style, comfort, luxury, electronics, safety or performance. It’s priced at a whooping Rs. 3.275 crores which makes it even more expensive than the Mercedes-Maybach S500 but that model is locally assembled and this Affalterbach tuned machine comes in via the expensive CBU route. This car is more oriented to munching miles quickly rather than going fast around corners or scaring people silly with the exhaust note. For those who want the best car in the world and don’t want to hand over driving duties to a chauffeur, the S63 AMG Coupe is the S-Class to have.

The Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe has staggeringly impressive straight-line performance and that’s in spite of the minor hesitance at take off. Comfort and luxury are at the forefront of this machine with speed being added in good measure.

What’s Cool

* An S-Class which makes everyone turn around, irrespective of their age
* Cabin is high on comfort with some sporty appeal
* Loaded with gizmos, technology is in plenty
* Cruises beautifully, this is the car to travel across cities
* Performance is strong and the pull is addictive

What’s Not So Cool

* Expensive! Costs more than double than the standard S-Class
* Strictly a two-seater, rear seat has limited space
* Being an AMG, it doesn’t sound like it should

Alternatives: BMW M6 Coupe

Testers’ Note:

Picture Editing – Sri Manikanta Achanta

Further Reading –

Mercedes S-Class Petrol Review
Mercedes S-Class Diesel Review
Mercedes S600 Guard Review
Mercedes S-Class vs Jaguar XJ