Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate 2019 UK first drive

Mercedes continues to deliver the motoring equivalent of a chocolate selection box with its hottest C Class: there’s something on offer for all tastes, whether they be saloon, coupé, convertible or estate-shaped.

While all have the performance punch of a carolina reaper chilli pepper, only the estate delivers that hit with a side of sensibility. It’s the sensible choice in a niche where sensible rarely applies anywhere else.

A handful of visual changes for 2019 include a revised AMG front grille and rear diffuser, some new-look air inlets and new alloy wheel options, but you’d need to be paying attention to notice.

Digital instruments and a slimmer, updated steering wheel are the main additions inside the cabin, with an AMG-specific rotary dial and customisable shortcut keys with their own tiny LCD screens to show whether you’re sharpening up the gearbox response or switching off the traction control.

The mid-life facelift hasn’t added any more power - but it wasn’t like the C63 S needed any. The 503bhp produced by its twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 is sufficient for a mere 4.1 second 0-62mph sprint and a 172mph top speed. It does benefit from a new nine-speed wet clutch automatic gearbox, which replaces the seven-speed torque converter found in the outgoing car.

This latest C63 isn’t quite as rabid as previous AMG estates. Where older cars would have happily let the driver exceed their abilities in spectacular fashion, the eminently adjustable traction control system poached from the AMG GT supercar helps reign things in until you decide to turn down the level of hand-holding. It turns in with precision and is supremely agile, though perhaps not to the level of BMW’s best M Division cars.

It’s still eager to oversteer and willing to break traction with anything close to liberal application of the throttle should you want it to, but is now much more predictable once you go beyond the limit. There are nine levels of assistance to choose from, in addition to the five driving modes that can be hot-swapped using the rotary digital dial fixed to the steering wheel. It’s slick, but the sheer amount of configuration and customisation on offer feels distinctly unlike AMG.

While it rides towards firm, as you would expect, the C63 isn’t as unforgiving as it used to be. The more dynamic driving modes are usable on the road now, without also making every bump and road imperfection felt through the cabin.