Driving the Mercedes crossover SUV with the world’s most powerful four-cylinder engine


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“You can’t beat cubic inches,” asserts the old automotive adage. Mercedes-AMG argues otherwise and, as proof, it’s unleashed the new ballistic GLC 63 S E Performance, which ditches its predecessor’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 motor in lieu of a giant-killing 2.0-litre hybrid power train.

Due on sale in the UAE early next year, the new GLC spearhead’s stats are nothing less than staggering as peak outputs of 680hp and 1,020Nm comfortably trounce the 510hp and 700Nm that the outgoing V8 model eked out.

A 0-100kph sprint of 3.5 seconds and top speed of 275kph (electronically limited) are electrifying numbers for a family-toting crossover SUV, and the fleet-footed GLC S E Performance has dynamics to match, thanks to a barrage of tech such as four-wheel steer, active-roll stabilisation, adaptive dampers and AMG’s 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system.

The 2.0-litre turbo motor belts out 476hp at 6,750rpm and 545Nm at 5,250rpm
The 2.0-litre turbo motor belts out 476hp at 6,750rpm and 545Nm at 5,250rpm

At the car’s heart lies AMG’s 2.0-litre turbo motor (designated M139L), which belts out 476hp at 6,750rpm and 545Nm at 5,250rpm, making it the world’s most powerful four-cylinder production engine. It’s supplemented by a 204hp/320Nm electric motor and accompanying two-speed transmission mounted in unison with the rear axle.

The combustion engine is a formidable unit, but its real party trick is the F1-developed electric turbocharger that all but eliminates lag. The key ingredient is an electric motor that spins up the turbo at low revs, with exhaust gases taking over once engine speeds rise.

The National samples the GLC 63 S E Performance at its international launch in Barcelona and gleans that the newbie has a markedly different character to its V8 forerunner. This is partly good news.

The first thing I notice is the absence of the rumbling V8 burble on firing up the ignition. In the less aggressive of its eight driving modes, the car initially pulls away as an EV. It is only in Sport, Sport+ and Race modes that the combustion engine is always active.

Around town, the GLC 63 S E Performance is completely docile as it cruises in almost total silence under electric power (I initially twisted the drive mode knob into Comfort mode), to a point that almost belies its AMG tag.

The fun starts once the road opens up and traffic thins. Now in Sport+ mode, there’s the opportunity to flatten the throttle and stretch the GLC’s go-faster legs. When you fully open the taps, the GLC 63 S E Performance is devastatingly fast, but the build-up of speed is distinctly linear – in contrast to the massive mid-range wallop that the existing V8 doles out when you prod it.

The soundtrack is completely different, too. There’s no V8 thunder here, and what you get instead is a hard-edged (still sporty) note from the exhausts, with the 71mm Garrett turbo chiming in with a pleasing whoosh every time you stamp on the throttle.

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The fact that the electric motor and AMG-developed battery pack are housed at the rear makes for perfect 49:51 weight distribution over front and rear axles, compared to a nose-heavy 55:45 split for the outgoing V8 model. The new GLC 63’s much-improved balance becomes evident as the Spanish road I am traversing becomes tight and twisty. The SUV’s turn-in is razor sharp, and there’s an almost complete absence of front-end push, even when chucking the car into tight hairpin corners. Grip is virtually limitless.

The aforementioned barrage of tech also plays its part in boosting dynamism. From behind the wheel, there’s absolutely no perception that this is, in fact, a heavy lump of a car at 2.3 tonnes. It feels about 500kg lighter.

The nine-speed MCT auto is quick-shifting and intuitive, while the steering is accurate and nicely weighted, though there’s not much in the way of textured feedback relayed to your fingertips. The composite brakes (390mm at the front and 370Nm) are strong, too, and the pedal is nicely progressive, despite the complexities of energy recuperation under braking.

It may have lost a touch of the brutish charisma of the outgoing V8 model, yet the 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E Performance is, in many ways, a better offering. No potential owner will mind the fact that it’s a much more frugal vehicle than its predecessor, but the real kicker is that it’s a more agile and enjoyable car to thrash across winding country roads.

Expo details

Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.

It is expected to attract 25 million visits

Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.

More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020

The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area

It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South

Profile of Tarabut Gateway

Founder: Abdulla Almoayed

Based: UAE

Founded: 2017

Number of employees: 35

Sector: FinTech

Raised: $13 million

Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.

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SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

Three ways to limit your social media use

Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.

1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.

2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information. 

3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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Our legal consultants

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to improve Arabic reading in early years

One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient

The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers

Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades

Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic

First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations

Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades

Improve the appearance of textbooks

Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings

Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught

Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar

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Updated: October 17, 2023, 2:16 AM`