Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class vs Land Rover Discovery

What's the difference?

Like I said right from the start, this new, hybrid version of the AMG GLC63 is technically superior to the model it replaces in every meaningful way. It is faster, more powerful and more fuel efficient and therefore a better performance SUV than the model it replaces.

Is it a better model than the one it replaces? Ultimately that will come down to how much stock you put into the soundtrack and your feelings on an AMG not powered by a V8 engine.

Because if you can see past that, then the AMG GLC63 is an absolutely fantastic performance SUV. Not only does the new powertrain make it faster in a straight line, but the chassis is very well-balanced, making for an engaging driving experience.

For those who can look past the smaller engine they will be rewarded with an incredibly fast and rewarding-to-drive member of the AMG family.

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

The Land Rover Discovery 35th Anniversary Edition drives beautifully, with effortless power and a composed, comfortable ride. It’s elegant and well-equipped for its price, though the technology often frustrates, and it’s not as spacious as some seven-seater rivals. Small quirks in everyday use prevent it from fully standing out in a competitive segment but it does enough to be considered.

The GLC63 is unmistakably an AMG from the moment you first lay eyes on it. That’s thanks to the AMG-specific elements, starting with the grille with vertical strikes and the AMG crest on the bonnet; which is now a signature item for the performance sub-brand.

The GLC63 is also fitted with the Night Package II design kit; this adds a darkened grille and black chrome badging to further enhance its visual appeal.

The AMG-specific alloy wheels and more aggressive stance do mean the GLC63 stands out from the rest of the GLC range, helping it look fast even when it’s standing still.

The Discovery remains a handsome SUV. It isn’t as boxy or rugged-looking as some of its rivals, but it still carries a quiet confidence and a hint of adventure in its stance. The 35th Anniversary Edition gets a few subtle touches to help it stand out, including 21-inch black alloy wheels, roman-numeral anniversary badging and slim LED lighting signatures that give it a clean, sophisticated look.

Inside, everything feels solid and thoughtfully put together, with soft-touch materials in all the right places. Some of the trim finishes lean a little synthetic, but the leather upholstery is beautifully done and the dual sunroofs bring in plenty of natural light, which helps elevate the cabin ambience.

The 11.4-inch media display takes pride of place on the dash and looks premium, and there are enough physical buttons and dials to satisfy those who like some tactile-functionality. That said, the cabin doesn’t quite deliver that sense of occasion you might expect at this price. It’s nice, it’s just not especially distinctive.

Inside the GLC63 is clearly a derivative of the rest of the range, with its C-Class-inspired design and layout, but there’s enough AMG-specific elements to ensure it looks and feels special. This starts with the AMG steering wheel, which comes not only with a thick rim wrapped in Alcantara, but also some AMG special dials to adjust the various performance settings for the powertrain, suspension and transmission.

Then there are the AMG-specific seats, which look good and offer good support for the driver and front seat passenger. The rear seats offer decent space for what is a mid-size SUV, with room enough for two adults or teenagers or three smaller kids.

Those in the back aren’t particularly well looked after though, with only rear air-con vents and small door pockets but no USB charging ports or other small item storage.

The boot is 590 litres, down from 620L in the rest of the range, thanks to the addition of the rear-mounted electric motor. There’s also no room for the temporary spare the rest of the GLC range gets and instead you have to make do with a puncture repair kit.

The Discovery’s cabin is an interesting mix - at first glance it seems to offer the right balance of space and features, but once you settle in, a few small disconnects between technology and layout become apparent.

Up front is where you want to spend most of your time. The powered seats are well-padded with long bases and excellent lumbar support. There’s plenty of room for tall drivers and passengers and elbow space is generous. The only annoyance is the heated seat function, which is buried behind the menu system and the fiddly climate dials.

The middle row highlights the Discovery’s tall-but-narrow proportions. Adult passengers can feel a little cramped side-to-side, though the flat floor gives decent leg and foot room. The third-row surprises with wider seats and deeper footwells than expected, so knees aren’t pressed against chests. Access, however, is more suited to children than adults.

Storage is abundant and thoughtfully positioned. Up front, there are dual glove boxes (one lockable), a hidden cubby behind the climate panel and underneath the sliding cupholders, a tray housing the wireless charging pad (which, in our test car, didn’t work), and the middle console fridge which is a handy touch for keeping snacks or drinks cool on long trips. The middle row gets map pockets, cupholders and bottle storage, while the third-row benefits from hinged cubbies on each wheel arch.

The boot is the standout, offering a massive 1137L when the third row is folded. Its tall and deep shape makes it practical and features like the powered tailgate, adjustable boot-lip height via air suspension, a full-size spare and a 12 volt socket round out its friendly usability.

Access is a simple step-in and step-out scenario thanks to the Discovery’s 'Auto Comfort Access' mode which, when activated, lowers the vehicle when parked. That said, the doors are heavy and need a firm push to latch properly.

Technology is a bit of a mixed bag. The media system is somewhat intuitive once you spend time with it, but newcomers may find the layout confusing. It includes sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, though in our test car, CarPlay occasionally showed music playing without sound but re-pairing my iPhone 15 Pro Max fixed the issue. The dual-use climate dials, which control temperature, fan speed and seat heating, can feel finicky, and one rear door locked itself for four days despite troubleshooting. The rear seat fold controls also worked inconsistently.

On the plus side, amenities like four-zone climate control, multiple air vents per row, and seven USB ports scattered throughout the cabin are thoughtful touches.

Since the launch of the 35th Anniversary Edition, the Discovery line-up has shifted, now trimmed to five diesel-powered grades. Originally based on the Dynamic SE, this special edition is based on the Gemini variant which is second from the top of the range.

Pricing starts from $132,090 MSRP, placing it above key rivals like the Lexus GX 550 Luxury ($112,607) and Toyota LandCruiser Prado VX ($87,400). In other words, it’s priced right in the middle of the family-luxury SUV battlefield.

Inside, you get heated and powered chairs up front with four-way lumbar, plus heated outboard second-row seats. There’s no heated steering wheel or front seat ventilation, which feels like a miss at this price point, but the equipment list remains generous. Standard highlights include an 11.4-inch media screen, satellite navigation, dual sunroofs (one fixed), wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a premium Meridian sound system.

Family practicality is well-covered with a hands-free powered tailgate, adjustable load height, full-size spare wheel, 360-degree camera system, five USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, two 12-volt sockets and directional vents in every row. You also get seating flexibility and family-friendly safety points: four ISOFIX mounts and five top-tether anchors across the back rows.

The Anniversary Edition builds further with rear privacy glass, a Wi-Fi-enabled media system (with data plan), colour head-up display, power-tilt/fold second-row seating, tow pack (including hitch receiver and tow assist), anniversary badging, black roof rails, centre console 'fridge' and four-zone climate control.

Our test vehicle also features the 'Capability Plus Pack' ($4910), which adds meaningful off-road hardware like a rear differential lock, twin-speed transfer case (high/low range), multi-terrain modes (including 'Grass', 'Gravel', 'Snow', 'Mud-ruts' and 'Rock Crawl') and a wading sensor. Land Rover’s 'All-Terrain Progress Control' (essentially a low-speed, off-road cruise control) is also included.

It offers a well-rounded feature set that keeps it competitive, though a handful of additional premium touches would elevate it to a more commanding position in the segment.

This is what lies at the heart of the AMG GLC63’s success or failure. As I mentioned at the beginning, the previous generation’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 has been replaced by an F1-inspired plug-in hybrid powertrain.

But don’t think that means AMG is suddenly focused on efficiency over performance. When AMG says the powertrain is inspired by the brand’s success in Formula 1 racing, what it means is the battery and electric motor provides a significant performance boost to support the internal combustion engine, not just save fuel.

To that end the combination of the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and the rear-mounted electric motor produces an impressive 500kW and 1020Nm. That’s a massive jump over the 375kW/700Nm made by the outgoing V8.

The 35th Anniversary Edition runs a hefty 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, twin-turbo diesel paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system. Together, they produce 257kW and 700Nm. It’s brisk, too, with a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.3-seconds, which is impressive for such a large 4WD.

Towing is rated at 3.5 tonnes and wading depth sits at 900mm, reinforcing its credentials as a proper adventure vehicle. Our test vehicle also features the 'Capability Plus Pack', which brings low-range gearing, rear differential lock and multiple terrain modes.

Not too bad for something that looks more like a school-run luxury SUV than some of its rivals.

Mercedes makes no secret that the battery is designed for performance, not saving fuel. It only has a 14km EV range but can recharge quickly on the move to provide a power boost when needed.

But despite all that, the GLC63 is actually significantly more fuel efficient than the old V8, using a claimed 7.3L/100km, which is a massive 4.9L/100km improvement over the old model. Although, on our day-long test drive we didn’t manage to come close to that claimed figure and instead saw returns around 11L/100km, albeit after a lot of spirited open-road driving.

The 35th Anniversary Edition has a claimed combined fuel figure of 7.8L/100km, and with its 89-litre tank you’re looking at a theoretical driving range of around 1141km. In the real world, I saw 9.0L/100km - that’s with one longer highway run mixed into a week of school runs and suburban errands.

It’s a touch thirstier than I’d hoped given I wasn’t towing or carrying heavy gear, but it still sits comfortably within expectations for this segment and size of vehicle.

Anyone who still believes in the adage ‘there’s no replacement for displacement’ hasn’t driven a modern turbocharged and hybridised engine. The GLC63 is a demonstration of the metaphorical and literal power of modern technology, combining an extremely efficient and potent internal combustion engine with an electric motor to make enormous real-world performance.

To be blunt, the GLC63 feels like a rocketship out of corners, launching with a ferocity and relentlessness the old V8 simply can’t match. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, a mid-size SUV with 1020Nm was always going to have plenty of performance, but even so it’s a shock to the system every time you give the GLC63 full throttle. Officially AMG claims it takes just 3.5 seconds to run 0-100km/h and has an electronically limited top speed of 275km/h - mighty impressive figures for a five-seat mid-size SUV.

To help get all that torque to the road, AMG deploys torque distribution technology that allows for it to be split an even 50/50 front/rear all the way to 100 per cent to the rear tyres.

Other technologies deployed to enhance its handling include AMG Ride Control suspension with adaptive damping and rear-axle steering. There’s also eight AMG Dynamic Select driving modes and four AMG Dynamics settings (Basic, Advanced, Pro and Master), so it’s a complex vehicle that is designed for the enthusiast.

While it’s easy to drive around town, once you get out on the open road you can really get a sense of the GLC63’s performance potential. Beyond just its powertrain the suspension offers good body control and the rear-axle steering helps it feel agile and responsive. 

It’s not perfect though. At times the complexity of the system does lead to some hesitation when you put your foot down. It certainly lacks the linear power delivery of the old V8 and makes for a slightly trickier driving experience at times.

As for the sound, which is one of the biggest elements missing from the V8, Mercedes has added AMG Real Performance Sound, which features a pressure sensor in the exhaust that picks up on the engine note and plays it through the speaker system. It certainly helps make for a louder, more noticeable engine noise, but it still sounds more like an A45 than the previous GLC63 and for many would-be buyers, that’s a major turn-off.

Power delivery in the Discovery feels effortless, with none of the laggy, heavy character you can get from some big diesels. It responds quickly when you need it to, whether you're merging into traffic or overtaking and always feels like it has plenty left in reserve.

Ride comfort is excellent. The adaptive suspension absorbs bumps and settles the body confidently through corners without feeling floaty or wallowy. Steering has a reassuring weight to it - not too light, not too heavy - which helps the Discovery feel sure-footed and composed on the road.

The cabin is impressively quiet, making it easy to chat with passengers across all three rows and reducing fatigue on longer drives. Visibility is generally strong and the high seating position gives a good command of the road. The only drawback is the middle-row headrest, which blocks the rear view. A digital rear-view mirror would be a helpful addition, especially when the car’s full.

Despite its size, the Discovery is surprisingly easy to manoeuvre, with a fairly forgiving 12.7-metre turning circle. Parking is straightforward thanks to a clear 360-degree camera system, although the display itself could be larger. Even in tight shopping centre car parks it never feels unwieldy.

The new Discovery hasn’t been tested by ANCAP yet and is unrated but it does come with a large suite of safety features and eight airbags which is good to see on a large 4WD.

Standard equipment includes autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitor, driver attention monitor, lane keeping aid, rear collision alert, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, speed limit warning, intelligent seatbelt warning, powered child locks, front/rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view camera system.

The adaptive cruise control is well-calibrated as it slows smoothly behind traffic and confidently builds speed again once the lane clears, without the hesitation some systems have. The only safety feature which is intrusive is the speed limit warning and unfortunately you have to slough though some menus to mute it.

There are four ISOFIX and five top-tether anchor points spread across the rear rows, which should delight families.

The GLC63 is covered by Mercedes Australia’s usual five-year/unlimited kilometres warranty.

As for maintenance, Mercedes offers service plans, spanning three to five years. Three years will cost you $5025, $6455 for four years and five years is priced from $7180. Servicing intervals are 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.

The Discovery 35th Anniversary Edition is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which is fairly standard for vehicles in the luxury SUV segment. However, it's worth noting the Nissan Patrol is offered with a 10-year (conditional) warranty.

Land Rover offers a pre-paid, five-year service plan for around $3500, which is cheaper than paying for each service individually. Service intervals are well spaced at every 12 months or 20,400 km, whichever comes first. There are approximately 71 authorised Land Rover centres across Australia, so even if you live regionally, you should be able to service your Discovery fairly easily.