[Akshay1234]

The Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe is on sale in India starting at a price of Rs. 2.55 crores (ex-showroom).

What you'll like:

• The GT character of this car, comfortable yet sporty at the same time
• 900 Nm going only to the rear wheels...feels wild!
• Well-designed and extremely high-quality interiors
• Loaded with technology

What you won't:

• Despite its size, the rear seats have minimal legroom (similar to smaller coupes)
• May not get as much attention as someone who is spending this amount would want; possibly because it is a "humble" Mercedes
• Radar driving safety features can be scary on Indian roads!
• Just RWD in India. This kind of power requires AWD. E63 S is a superior handler

[Akshay1234]

The S-Class Coupe has been around for a few generations, and this latest facelift version of the C217 generation is a special car. Apart from the looks, its got a couple of changes in the drivetrain. The engine has been changed from the 5.5L M157 to the 4.0L M177 V8, and also the transmission has been switched to Mercedes' latest 9G-TRONIC gearbox. The S-Class Coupe can be considered Mercedes' flagship, and it always has been, apart from a few special models like the SLR and the SLS, which took the title away. It is a grand tourer, meant to have the best qualities of the S-Class sedan with better driving experience.

Right from the W126 generation, the SEC, as it was known at that time, it feels only right with a V8 engine. There were the 500 and the 560 SECs, which were the ultimate grand touring machines. After that, the badge changed to the CL, as with many other vehicles who have had their moniker changed over the years. The CL lasted with the W140, W220 and W221 generations, and it surely was an iconic badge to have, especially with the 55, 63 and 65 engines (which are still available today). Now with the W222 generation of S-Class, the coupe version has switched back to the S-Class badge and Mercedes has really outdone themselves with this one.

This particular S63 coupe was well loaded in terms of options, with Designo paint and interiors, and a lot of other expensive options ticked. Another pleasant surprise was the fact that this is rear-wheel drive, unlike all LHD countries where I believe only 4MATIC is offered. While 4MATIC on the newer cars is awesome and practical, there is just something pure about rear-wheel drive, more so when it is coupled with 612 BHP and 900 Nm!

[Akshay1234]

Exterior

Just looking at the S Coupe, one does not realize the size. It does a good job of hiding it with the design and curves all over. The facelift version we have here looks much more aggressive with the new Panamericana grille and slightly redesigned bumpers. It looks nice and there are no 2 ways about it:

Moving to the side profile, there are some clean design lines on the car, which are only exaggerated with the optional Iridium Silver Magno paint. While the paint is certainly a pleasing colour, I believe something darker will suit the S63 Coupe more:


The rear three quarters is my favourite angle to view the car. It shows us the gorgeous rear, along with the sleek side profile and clean lines. Do note how the glass area of the windows doesn't have a pillar to break it in the middle, another design feature of the S-Class Coupe since generations:


The rear actually looks very sporty, with the sleek tail lights and sporty diffuser. There is a subtly integrated spoiler on the bootlid, which IMO could have been a tiny bit larger considering the sporty intentions of the vehicle:


This angle is my only bit of criticism with the looks of the S63. The wheel arches look too flat. Since the car is massive, it would probably be difficult to handle with wider arches. I just wish Mercedes had flared them a tiny bit more:


These optional 20" 5-spoke alloys are classic AMG style design. They are wrapped in 255/40 and 285/30 Michelin PS3 tyres. I was very surprised to see this new set of PS3 tyres, considering Michelin changed them a while ago. Popping out from behind the wheels are the bog standard brakes, non-carbon ceramic, and definitely not sufficient for this big coupe. Red painted calipers are a paid option though. LOL:


The headlight design is only slightly updated in the facelift, though I do believe some LED trickery has been added to the lights. These are not the optional Swarovski design headlights which certainly look better. But these headlights, along with the vertically slatted grille, and the carbon fibre on the front bumper lip, all go well together:


Quite a bit of carbon fibre on the rear too, as part of the optional exterior carbon package. The package also includes the side skirts and mirrors, apart from this rear diffuser and the front lip:


The carbon fibre used is of great quality as expected, and blends in well with the S63. A few years ago, I would have laughed seeing carbon fibre on a CL:


Absolutely stunning OLED tail lights. These really add to the look of the car from the rear, and what was even better was the pattern made when unlocking / locking the car:

[Akshay1234]

Interior

The interior is a great place to be in the S63 Coupe. There is high-quality Nappa leather everywhere, with diamond stitching. The seats are very large and comfortable, and supportive. They are also dynamic, in the sense that if one is taking a corner, they increase the bolstering on the side where you would normally get pushed out:


Almost all surfaces are wrapped in leather, there is very little plastic to touch. The wraparound carbon fibre looks great and matches the red interiors perfectly:


Stunning steering wheel, with aluminium trim all over. While it does look awesome, one grouse I have is that in our conditions, the touchpads don't respond too well, and get dirty easily:


A view of the driver's doorpad controls. The special option Bengal Red interiors go very well with the carbon fibre and aluminium bits:


High quality perforated Nappa leather, with interesting patterns of stitching. Certainly looks and feels good:


The Burmester sound system in this car was the basic one (may be mistaken). It didn't sound as good as the top of the line Burmester which we had tried in the E63 S. The speaker grilles themselves look very unique with the pattern:


The slightly cramped rear seats should have had some more legroom. Note the speaker in the center near the armrest - Burmester has placed many speakers in unique locations:


The front seats give you options to adjust shoulder support, bolsters, etc. There is also a massage option which gives quite a mean massage, which actually helps! This is one feature I used almost every time I drove the car:


The optional magic sky roof, right now in its clear position:


Magic sky roof changed onto its opaque / darker position. This is one awesome party trick! And the best part is that it doesn't let much heat in during the day either, so one can drive with the sunroof in its darkened position. This also reminded me of the newer airplane windows:

[Akshay1234]

Driving the 4.0L Petrol AT

This S63 facelift has downsized from the 5.5L V8 to the 4.0L M177 V8 engine we have seen lately in all the 63 badged AMGs. Like the E63 S, this too has the variable scroll turbos and is pretty much identical in terms of setup to the E63 S, except it has 50 Nm more torque. What is different in this flagship model is the fact that it is rear-wheel drive. So there is 950 Nm and 612 BHP always going only to the rear wheels! The claimed 0-100 km/h time is only 3.5 seconds, which is surprisingly quick for a vehicle of this size. Even though it is a RWD, the S63 manages to almost stick to the claimed timing.

The transmission is the AMG Speedshift MCT 9G-TRONIC, and it is an upgrade from the 7-speed offered on the pre-facelift model. In terms of the way it shifts and behaves, one cannot fault it. While there may be some slightly better tuned transmissions out there, this is quick to shift and doesn't hesitate to downshift. It is almost as good as the BMWs. What I do like is how it feels absolutely smooth when left in Auto, almost like a regular S-Class. And once it is moved into Sport or Race mode, the shifts really quicken up. And the response to the paddles is almost instant too. What is annoying, like other AMGs, is how in Auto, it starts off in 2nd gear, but when in manual, the gearbox doesn't let you shift to 2nd before 17-18 km/h.

Getting into the car, it really does feel like the S-Class in terms of seat size and comfort. Unlike the C and E, these seats are very spacious and soft to sit on. The slightly different dashboard of the coupe looks awesome with the large trim pieces and the leather which can be felt literally everywhere. The interiors come together and look simply stunning! There is not a single person who saw the S63 and was not thoroughly impressed with the interiors. I think a lot had to do with the well-chosen Bengal Red leather and the carbon fibre trim.

Starting up, the engine emits a growl, which is enhanced when the valves are opened. Apart from that, the exhaust is not really loud, but it does give out some nice pops and bangs when its heated up and even more so when the car is running high octane fuel. Driving around in city traffic was actually a pleasure. Maneouvering the S63 in rush hour traffic was not difficult at all since the length is much more manageable than the sedan. With a massage on, and listening to music, you don't realise or really bother with what's going on outside. Also, this being in a rather subtle matte silver, it didn't get as much attention as would be expected with a vehicle of this price. There were no bikers going crazy, no people jumping in front to take a picture as might have happened with a 911 or an Aston Martin. In a sense, it is good, since one can enjoy the vehicle rather than concentrate and worry about people all around.

With the RWD, comes all the fun. The S63 is tail happy, and with all the torque, it had better be! When you put your foot down, it does get better traction than you would expect, and just gives you a solid shove into the seat and accelerate to insane speeds before you know it. With the traction control in Sport mode, it gets even more loose and sometimes needs a tiny bit of counter steer! But somehow, it manages all this while still being elegant in a way an S-Class should be. The highlight of this car for me is the huge amount of torque coupled with the rear-wheel drive. It never feels like there is any dearth of power, whatever speed the car may be at.

In terms of ride quality, it is plush even with the 20-inch wheels and low profile tyres. Its certainly not as good as the S-Class sedans, but it is still very comfortable and manages to absorb a lot of the small and mid-size bumps, provided the car doesn't go over them too quickly. The raise function is great as always, and with the suspension raised, the car did not scrape even once. I did have to take it sideways over the larger speedbreakers. But it cannot be called impractical, or unusable. It is very much possible to daily drive the S63. On the open road, stability is very good and you do not realise the speeds you are maintaining. It does have a tiny bit of waftiness associated with an S-Class, but also the firmness to keep up with the sporty pretensions of the S63. In Sport mode, it does feel a lot smaller and one does feel confident of pushing this into a corner. It is actually quite a chuckable vehicle, unlike the first impression it may give. I was very impressed with this, since the earlier S-Class Coupes (pre-222) are similar to boats! The steering feel is quite accurate, but when driving enthusiastically, it did feel a bit disconnected from the road at times in terms of feedback. But it does give you the confidence to push the car hard.

Being a flagship vehicle, the S63 was loaded with all the safety tech one could want. The radar systems for adaptive cruise control, which also help with the auto brake, blind spot monitoring, and cross traffic monitoring. Now in Mumbai traffic, the first thing I had to do when I switched on the S63 was to go to the assists menu, and switch all of them off. The assists, invariably, would kick in unexpectedly and scare the crap out of the person driving, and also the people around them on the road. While on the highway, or an open road, it is certainly great, inside the city, I believe it may cause someone to rear-end the vehicle with the sudden braking. Another scary experience was with the blind spot radar - I was driving very casually at about 70 km/h, sticking in my lane. I saw a biker speeding in between lanes who was going to overtake from the left, and as he was approaching, maybe the S63 felt he was going to hit because I suddenly felt the car go a bit to the right and brake on its own at the same time. I couldn't for the life of me understand what was happening and I thought I was going straight into the wall. It lasted just a second or two, but that was enough to scare me.

All in all, the S63 is definitely a vehicle I would want to buy if I had the money. It is something which can be called an all-round sports car. While it may not have the brand name of an Aston Martin (whom I consider the S Coupe's competitor), it definitely does have the special feel.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[car love]

Photographs dont do any justice to this car. Theres a black one here in Bangalore. It is just stunning and extremely sophisticated in the flesh..One of the greatest designs of the modern era actually.

[rikhav]

Absolutely agree
Photographs don't do justice to the car
Have seen this exact car in flesh as it was given to a friend for a photo shoot by Mercedes India

[n:CorE]

Tight review Akshay! Always been a big fan of the S-Coupe. A luxury barge that shortchanges on practicality for all the right reasons. The color of the car on the test is a bit uninspired, to say the least. Totally agree with you on the wheel arches, it looks more like an "AMG-line" styled car than an actual AMG.

It's insane to think that Mercedes also sells an S65 AMG coupe internationally with their infamous V12 - an iteration of which can be found under the bonkers Pagani Huayra.

[ts1506]

The S63 coupe is hot

It's like a perfect combination of luxury and fun.

Loved the crisp review of such a beautiful car. Not sure I'm too fond of the interior color scheme though, although I guess there's multiple customization possible there.

[GTO]

Had a blast with this car on the highway! That said, believe it or not, I'll pick the (cheaper) E63S over the S63 coupe. Reasons = Way better handler thanks to its AWD, faster & lots more fun to drive IMHO. The added rear doors & space are a bonus.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by GTO

I'll pick the (cheaper) E63S over the S63 coupe. Reasons = Way better handler thanks to its AWD, faster & lots more fun to drive.

How about the M5? I hope you remember your old ride!

[Sasanka_Sanga]

The Sonderklasse is special from every angle. A detailed review gave me a feel of experiencing the ride.

Trust me, to get the maximum satisfaction, one should ride this for sometime and then enjoy the luxury by sitting behind.

[TheHelix0202]

Even though I don’t prefer any interior shade other than black/beige, I’ll make an exception here. Brilliant attention to detail by Mercedes. Nice stance too.

Great photographs compliment this review- the first picture reminds me of a crouching tiger. Wish the review were longer though

P.S- Will definitely be picking up a used coupé 50 years down the road.

[GTB]

Thanks for the review.

Maybe off-topic, all the 63's got the same engine? Comparing Rear-wheel drive and All wheel drive, Rear-wheel drive is not a good handler in general? I always thought Rear-wheel drive is more fun to drive.

PS: comparing only in case of All-wheel drive sending its power to all the wheels.