Mercedes-Benz C63 vs Mercedes-Benz G-Class

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Aero Edition is an absolute beast of a car, but it comes at a pretty hefty price. Yes you get a lot of performance, and the fact there are only 63 examples being made for Australia and New Zealand could be enough to get you to sign on the line. For me, though, if I was after a C 63, it’d have to be a wagon. It doesn’t need an Aero pack to look better.

As per the 1979 original, the current G-Class is produced by Magna Steyr in Arnie’s home town of Graz in Austria. And many fundamental things haven’t changed since then. But clearly this EV monster’s exotic electric powertrain is a huge departure.

It retains impressive off-road ability and straight-line speed. But will it hit the mark with top-end luxury 4WDers? Short story, this thing is wild, and it will be irresistible for a likely narrow band of tech-focused ‘must have the latest and greatest’ buyers. Nothing like impressing friends and family with a tank turn.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of the current C-Class Coupe’s styling. To me, it has always looked a little droopy, a little melted at the back. 

I have to say, the Aero Edition has changed my opinion somewhat, as the new graphic elements help lift it up a bit, visually raising its rear up like a stretching cat, tail in the air. I’m still not 100 per cent on it, but to my eye it’s better.

The carbon-fibre trim elements that have been added to the exterior certainly add some menace to the look, too, and I simply can’t help but constantly notice out of the corner of my eye the AMG pressing in the staggered, dished rims. At a glimpse, from a distance,  it looks like rim damage, but thankfully it’s not!

The staggered set-up does really add some width and mongrel to the look, as if it needed more, with its open maw lower bumper air dam, and the signature 'Panamericana' grille treatment which looks like an evil character out of a movie. If you know the one I’m talking about, let me know in the comments.

As much as the look matters when it’s parked in your driveway, it’s the cabin that arguably matters more, right? That’s where you spend your time, after all. Check out the interior images to see if you think it lives up to the exterior look.

Okay, so Mercedes-Benz says, with a straight face, that “with the aim of optimising the vehicle’s aerodynamics” classic G-Class elements have been revised, including the reprofiled bonnet, ‘air curtain’ vents in the flares over the rear wheel arches, A-pillar cladding and the small spoiler on the edge of the roof.

At the same time, the 20-inch wheels are also claimed to be "aerodynamically optimised” and underneath, a 26mm underbody casing made from a mix of materials, including carbon-fibre (attached to the ladder frame with more than 50 steel screws), protects the battery from dust, dirt and rocks.

In ticking off the Edition One, car-spotters should look for black rims with blue brake callipers behind them, blue inserts in the exterior protective strips as well as black door handles and a new rectangular design box on the rear door for storing items such as charging cables, tools or snow chains. If you want a spare wheel, choose the standard model.

An optional black-panel radiator grille ($3800) features tinted lighting units as well as an animated LED light band and chrome surround. The light band can be activated as a running light or an animation when locking and unlocking the vehicle.

And it’s worth noting Mercedes-Benz and the car’s contracted manufacturer, Magna Steyr, have invested much time and many Euros in retaining the car’s classic handle and door lock design. G-Wagen owners will recognise its sound from several kilometres away.

Inside the G580 it’s clear this is one area where the G-Class has progressed enormously over the decades. It’s still quite upright in terms of the dash design, but you’re confronted by twin 12.3-inch screens, supporting the Mercedes-Benz user interface. 

All very high-tech, but that’s balanced by an old-school grab-handle for the front passenger to latch onto during off-road work. 

The signature turbine-style air vents are located within squared-off panels, and in the limited Edition One you have a blue fleck running through carbon-fibre inserts on the centre console, door cards and that front grab handle. In the standard car it’s a (very attractive) walnut open-pore wood rather than carbon.

A luxurious interior for sure.

No two-door coupe is going to offer you the space and comfort of a sedan or wagon, that’s just a fact. But that only matters if you plan to actually use the rear seats. If you don’t, then the Coupe version of the C 63 S might be perfect for you.

Even so, I managed to (only just) squeeze myself between the seat and the door opening to slide into the rear row. This won’t be easily achieved by all attempters, especially on the driver’s side.

Let’s just say I probably looked like I was doing something very weird to the driver’s seat as I spider-manned my way in. 

The rear space is tight for someone my height (182cm/6’0”) behind their own driving position, with knees hard-up against the seat in front and not much headroom (my noggin’ was brushing the ceiling) or toe space (size 12s don’t fit so well) to speak of.

It’s certainly a selfish car. Or maybe it’d be fine for smaller kids. There are two spaces in the back, both with ISOFIX child seat anchors and top-tether points.

But there is storage in the back - cupholders and storage caddies either side of the seats, though the storage situation improves in the front zone, with bottle holders in the doors, cupholders between the seats, loose item storage under the media screen and a covered centre armrest bin, too.

The front cabin is a special looking place, with carbon-fibre abounding across the dash and nice trim on the doors. The AMG steering wheel is a sight to behold - it’s a flat-bottomed unit with carbon-fibre and Dinamica (that’s Benz talk for microsuede) trim: perfect for sapping sweat as you manhandle the C63 through the bends.

The seats are AMG Performance sports units up front, and the trim used is reserved for this model specifically: Nappa leather with yellow stripes. There are yellow details elsewhere, including on the rear seats, centre console and dash, and it certainly adds some visual excitement.

Media is controlled by a 10.25-inch display and Mercedes-Benz’s touchpad control system, but there is no touchscreen - rendering the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring technology somewhat tedious.

I’ve always had a gripe with screens that don’t allow touch but feature the tech that’s designed to transfer your phone’s screen to the media unit, and I can tell you the longer you spend twiddling the dial to get where you want to go, the more annoying it becomes.

The Burmester sound system has 13 speakers and is rather good, but I prefer the sound from the standard fit variable sports exhaust. So maybe that quibble with CarPlay isn’t that big a deal.

And if you just want to charge your phone, and there’s a second USB port up front, as well. Note: in non-Aero Edition C 63 models without the carbon-fibre interior pack, you also get Qi wireless phone charging, but it’s deleted from this variant and any model with the carbon pack.

The driver has a 12.3-inch digital info display to show where you are and what the car is up to, and there’s a head-up display as well. Yep, there’s standard sat nav with live traffic updates (and even live fuel price updates) - it’s just a shame the maps still look early 2000s-spec in 2D layout.

Cargo space is okay. The claimed cargo capacity or boot volume is 355 litres (VDA) with the rear seats in place. That’s small for a coupe of this size, and the shape of the boot (with a hump behind the rear seat) isn’t great as things do move around quite a bit.

But, thankfully, Mercedes has included its clever foldable storage box system under the boot floor - it goes where you might usually expect a spare wheel, but there isn’t one in this car. Instead you get Mercedes’ 'Tirefit' repair kit with an electric pump.

For the record, the G63 is just over 4.6m long and a little more than 1.9m wide with a 2890mm wheelbase. So, not huge, but its close to 2.0m height is hard to ignore. 

In the front there’s lots of breathing space, and in terms of storage you have generous bins in the doors with plenty of room for big bottles. Then there’s a centre armrest, which doubles as the top of a deep storage box housing a USB-C port inside. 

A sliding roller cover in the centre console reveals two cupholders, another two USB-C sockets, a 12-volt outlet and a wireless charging pad. Add in a big glove box and you’ve got plenty of options in terms of storage, power and connectivity. 

In the back, sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position I’ve got tons of foot and legroom and, no surprise, lots of headroom.

There’s a fair bit of sculpting in the rear seat, which is as nice as it is unusual (makers often avoid bolsters on the rear seat as it makes the backrest harder to fold flat). And in terms of three-abreast accommodation, a smaller adult will be okay in the centre spot for shorter journeys. Three up to mid-teenage kids will be swimming in it.

Then, for practicality you again have generous bins in the doors. And if you need even more capacity, fold down the centre armrest which houses two different size cupholders. 

In the rear of the centre console you’ve got two USB-Cs, a 12-volt power outlet, individual climate control and directional vents.

There are map rockets on the front seatbacks and more air vents in the B-pillar. So, when it comes to comfort, powering up devices and storing ‘things’ you’re well taken care of.

The side-opening tailgate door opens from right to left, which isn’t ideal when parallel parked on the left hand side of the road, but boot volume is over 600 litres (VDA) with all seats upright, expanding to nearly 2000 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seat lowered.

There are multiple tie-down hooks, a netted pocket, two lights, a 12-volt outlet as well as a ‘ski-port’ door and sliding cargo cover to enhance practicality and security.

As mentioned earlier, the full-size spare in the standard model, but the Design Box replaces it on the Edition One, although Mercedes-Benz says it’s aiming to make a spare available as an option later in the year.

The new Mercedes-Benz G580 is priced at $249,900 and a more highly-specified limited Edition One version comes in at $299,900, both before on-road costs.

That’s a price territory where the BMW X5 and X6 M Competition ($244,900 & $250,900) as well as the Range Rover Autobiography ($233,961) live. Not to mention competition from the G580’s still available and appreciably pricier twin-turbo V8 Mercedes-AMG G63 stablemate ($365,900).

As you’d expect, the standard features list is substantial and the highlights are Burmester 3D Surround Sound audio (with digital radio), leather upholstery, keyless entry and start, a multi-function steering wheel trimmed in Nappa leather, power front seats with memory function, heated and cooled cupholders, and wireless smartphone charging. 

There’s also dual 12.3-inch driver instrument and central media displays, ambient lighting and adaptive LED headlights as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

As well as cosmetic changes, covered shortly, the Edition One steps up to ‘Silver Pearl’ and black Nappa leather trim (with blue contrast stitching).

There’s also a range of optional packages bundling up everything from exterior body elements to interior trim and additional multimedia, the latter especially for back-seaters. 

The ‘Night Package’ ($4300) includes black exterior mirror housings, black running boards and wheels as well as darkened exterior lights and a radiator shell that can be illuminated for an impressive profile while driving.

A ‘Superior Line Interior Plus Package’ ($14,500) brings full Nappa leather upholstery, ‘Active Multicontour Seat Package Plus’ and grab handles in leather. Then a ‘Manufaktur Exterior Package’ ($4100) finishes the roof, bumpers and wheel arches in ‘Obsidian Black’. 

But the one that will score you maximum brownie points with the kids is the ‘Interior Comfort Package’ ($8500), featuring a rear seat entertainment system, including two integrated 11.6-inch touch displays.

Open the shapely bonnet of the C 63 S and you’ll find a hand-assembled horsepower-monster engine with a printed name plaque to prove it.

The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 375kW of power at 6250rpm, and 700Nm of torque from 2000-4500rpm. It runs a standard-fit nine-speed 'Speedshift MCT' (multi-clutch transmission) automatic, and it’s rear-wheel drive. And yes, that means it likes to boogie.

The claimed 0-100km/h time is just 3.9 seconds, and top speed is apparently pegged at 250km/h. Yeesh.

The name on the “Handcrafted by” plaque on this particular engine? Hat tip to you, Julian Rembold. This is quite a piece of work. 

The G580 is powered by four permanently excited synchronous motors, each delivering around a CLA200’s worth of power and torque to each wheel for overall outputs in excess of 432kW/1164Nm.

Each motor has its own two-stage transmission and power electronics for almost infinite fine-tuning of the direction and amount of drive sent to individual wheels. Merc calls it ‘individual-wheel drive’.

High numbers are what AMGs are about. Sadly that’s the case not only for performance outputs but also fuel consumption.

The official combined cycle fuel use claim for the C 63 S Coupe is 10.3 litres per 100 kilometres, and you need to fill it with 98RON premium unleaded fuel, too.

On test? Well, across a mix of different driving - urban, highway, back road and spirited stints - I saw an 'at the pump' return of 12.2L/100km, while the digital readout stated 12.0L/100km.

Given the performance on offer, and how much I took advantage of it during my week with the car, that’s not bad…

Fuel tank capacity is 66 litres. So go easy if you know there won’t be a fuel stop for a while.

Housed in a torsion-resistant casing and embedded low down in its ladder-frame chassis, the G580’s 116kWh two-tier, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack delivers a WLTP-rated range of 473km, or 567km on the more lenient NEDC scale.

‘Eco Assistant’ and ‘Range Monitoring’ functions provide continuous information on battery status, energy consumption and estimated range.

Maximum system capacity is 400 volts which enables 200kW DC charging, meaning a 10 to 80 per cent fill in as little as 32 minutes. Maximum AC charging capacity is 11kW.

Claimed energy use is 23.1kWh/100km, and we saw an average of 28.6kWh across urban and highway running on the launch drive program.

Not exactly a ‘green’ EV choice, then, but it’s worth noting a one-year Chargefox subscription is included to off-set the car’s energy appetite.

Just one word sprang to my mind when it comes to accurately describing the performance on offer from this car. The word is ‘brutal’.

Smash the accelerator and the power and torque on offer is enough to make your eyes feel like they’re not doing the right thing anymore. You get pushed back in your seat with a surge, and your ears are also rewarded with one of the best soundtracks in the automotive world. 

The engine builds pace with enormous intent, and the sound that comes from under the bonnet and out the back through the exhausts is addictive.

Yes, there is an active exhaust button which you have to press to make sure that you hear all that noise if you’re running around in 'Comfort' mode, and during my time with the car it was active the whole time.

I had some questions from neighbours over the week that I had this car about whether it was actually nice to live with on a day-to-day basis. And the answer is yes, if you put it in comfort mode it’s surprisingly amenable. 

The ride is really well sorted at pace despite having a bit of that trademark low-speed wobble that seems to afflict Mercedes products from A-Class through to the GLE SUV. But it wasn’t bad enough to really bother me, as most of my time was on highways and backroads.

The steering is direct and accurate. The only thing you need to be aware of is that you will lose traction at the rear axle when you put your foot down hard. And for the enthusiast that’s exactly what you want. 

I know I want to feel the thing squirm under throttle. It’s a rear-drive V8 coupe, after all. You want to feel like you’re a vein in its bicep muscle; you know, the one you see in a weightlifter’s arms – the one that wiggles around a lot. You want to have that. Right?

On the performance front it is exceptional. Twist the little dial on the wheel to 'Sport' or 'Sport+' (I didn’t sample 'Race' mode as I wasn’t at a racetrack), and everything feels like it’s had a protein shake.

Even so, in that mode it steers brilliantly, there's a nice feel through the wheel, and the ride, while stiff, controls the body brilliantly when you change directions. 

The transmission is very good, too. In Comfort mode it can take just a second or two at first to become accustomed to the idea that you want to drive aggressively.

But in Sport mode, or when you select the manual transmission mode using the trigger button on the steering wheel, you will certainly get the most out of the engine. That’s what I did when I was driving it in a ‘spirited’ manner.

If you are just after that high-end Coupe cruiser experience, it’s a relatively quiet car (provided the surface below isn’t the coarsest of coarse-chip bitumen), with enough luxuriousness to make it feel premium as well as sporty. That’s an important thing to consider, especially at this price point.

So, with 432kW and around 1160Nm, even though the G580 weighs in at around three tonnes, you’re talking 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds. And this car gets up and goes… like a beast.

What you don’t get is that traditional Merc-AMG G63 V8 rumble, because, of course, no engine. 

But you do get what Mercedes calls ‘G-Roar’, essentially a sound bar at the front of the car also using the audio system inside to give it what is not exactly an engine noise but some sense of the car progressing. And you can turn it off for completely silent running.

‘Electric Dynamic Select’ changes the parameters of the motors, transmission, suspension, ESP and steering as required. On-road that means ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Individual’ modes, with off-road comprising ‘Trail’ and ‘Rock’. In the Comfort setting drive flows primarily to one axle for optimum energy efficiency.

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front and a De Dion-style live (rigid) axle at the rear. You’ve got the same adaptive-type set-up as per other G-Class models, so ‘Comfort’ and ‘Sport’ modes and of the many traditional G-Class traits this car exhibits, ride quality is one of them.

Even in Comfort you’ll find even little bumps and thumps making their way up into the seat of the pants and the cabin. It is after all a body-on-frame, ladder-chassis type vehicle and that’s not unusual.  

In terms of steering, it’s accurate and road feel is good. You’ve got 275-wide Falken Azenis FK520 tyres that are more on- than off-road focused. The car feels stable and nicely planted on the road.

The physical brakes are by ventilated discs front and rear, and the big rotors are the same size (353mm) all around. They work nicely and feel like a conventional set-up.

Regenerative braking kicks in as soon as you lift off the accelerator pedal. The powertrain is harvesting energy as the car decelerates and there are four levels you can adjust with the steering wheel paddles up to a quite aggressive level - not quite, but close to a single-pedal set-up.

Off-road, the G580’s ‘G-Steering’ system allows the wheels to turn at different speeds to induce slight ‘drift-like’ oversteer and tighten the turning circle. It works beautifully and the car’s fording depth is 850mm, a full 150mm more than internal-combustion G-Class models.

A three-speed off-road crawl function is adjustable to speeds as low as 2.0km/h, and the car is claimed to remain stable on sideways slopes up to 35 degrees. 

Torque vectoring is used to create ‘virtual diff locks’ and there’s a ‘low-range’ setting. Switch to the ‘Offroad Cockpit’ and data including gradient, lateral inclination, compass readings, tyre pressures and the selected G-Mode appear.

A ‘Transparent Bonnet’ function creates a virtual view of what’s approaching and passing under the front wheels to help the driver pick their way through steep ascents or declines.

For the record, the G580’s approach angle is 32 degrees, departure is 30.7, breakover is 20.3 and ground-clearance is 250mm.

And of course, with the wheels independently powered, the G580’s signature move is what Mercedes-Benz calls a ‘G-Turn’ but the rest of the world calls a tank turn.

If you encounter an obstacle that makes forward progress impossible, the system spins the left- and right-hand wheels in opposite directions so this brute can turn on the spot like an M1 Abrams. You can’t help but crack up laughing when executing this extreme party trick!

In terms of miscellaneous observations around ergonomics and the car in general, it has a 13.6-metre conventional turning circle. So if you’re not using the G Turn function in the car park be ready for a sizeable turning arc.

Also, those aero tweaks here and there seem to have had an effect. Wind noise, especially for such an upright, squared-off design is surprisingly modest. And overall, from a build point of view, this car feels as though it’s been carved from a solid piece of metal. In every aspect it presents as a quality item.

Although the Mercedes-AMG G63 carries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety assessment from 2018, the pure-electric G580 is unrated. But crash avoidance tech includes active cruise control, ‘Active Steering Assist’, high-speed AEB, traffic sign recognition, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, driver fatigue monitoring as well as a 360-degree camera view and ‘Active Parking Assist’.

And if a crash is unavoidable, there are no fewer than 11 airbags on-board, including driver and front passenger front and side, rear side, full-length curtains, driver and passenger knee and a front centre bag.

There are three top-tether points for child seats across the second row, with ISOFIX anchors on the two outer positions.

Mercedes-Benz is among the minority of luxury brands now offering a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan - most still have three-year cover. So that’s a tick.

And the service intervals are pegged at 12 months/20,000km. Another tick.

Plus you can either pre-pay your service plan in three-year ($3800), four-year ($6000) or five-year ($6550) plans - roll it into the finance package, and it won’t hurt quite as much.

According to Mercedes, the three-year coverage option makes for a $900 discount over pay-as-you-go servicing.

Roadside assistance covers the five-year new car warranty period, too. So Mercedes seemingly takes good care of its customers. But if you have any concerns or questions over reliability, problems, issues or complaints about the C 63, check out our AMG C 63 problems page.

The G580 is covered by Mercedes-Benz Australia’s five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which remains the standard offering in the premium part of the market and an eight-year/160,000km drive battery warranty.

Service intervals are every 12 months or 20,000km with service plan pricing available over three ($2645), four ($3980) and five ($4670) years. In approximate terms, each workshop visit will cost ‘around’ $900. Not exactly cheap, especially for an EV, but this is no ordinary electric vehicle.