Mercedes-AMG GLC63 vs Hyundai Accent

What's the difference?

It doesn't feel like that long ago I spent a day with the brand spanking new Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S when it first arrived in Australia. It's a car that stuck with me, the SpaceX-worthy thrust of AMG's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 translating into that dirty V8 exhaust note.

Turns out it wasn't that long ago, but time waits for no car - the 2020 GLC 63 S has arrived, with some useful upgrades and a deep suspicion that someone, somewhere thought the car needed some changes.

And they may be right, because in June 2018, the GLC 63 S assumed an empty throne. Now in 2020, it has the Jaguar F-Pace SVR and BMW X3 and X4 M twins to deal with.

So, under a scorching hot Bathurst sun, I examined the box-fresh GLC 63 S for signs of nefarious activity, hoping things have not changed for the worse just because there are a couple of challengers in town.

While there are plenty of things that somehow improve with age (art, wine, the seemingly ageless Will Smith, to name but a few), the Hyundai Accent is sadly not one of them.

But then, neither does almost any new cars. With new technology, entertainment and safety features launching daily, and with engines that are getting cleaner, more efficient and smoother all the time, a once all-new model can be left looking positively antique in just a handful of years.

But it’s definitely even worse than normal over at Hyundai; the Korean manufacturer that continues to make great forward strides with every new model. From the members of its fast and frantic N Division to its polished SUVs, to the all-new i30 small car, Hyundai is going from strength to strength with neck-breaking speed.

All of which creates a little problem for the pint-sized Accent, which - having launched back in 2011 - is now starting to feel its age. And unlike the Fresh Prince, it isn’t holding up quite so well. 

So in lieu of an all new version, Hyundai streamlined the existing Accent family into one value-packed model in 2017, taking the axe to the Active and SR models and replacing both with a single, Sport trim level, which is available in sedan and hatchback guise.

And in creating the Sport, Hyundai aims to blend the best of the Accent range into one handy package. So have they taught this old dog new tricks?