2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 now on sale

The new-generation 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC SUV and Coupe are now on sale in Australia, arriving in dealerships this month priced from $136,400 plus on-road costs.

That’s for the SUV version, while the new GLC 43 Coupe carries a $10,500 premium, starting at $146,900 plus ORCs.

The high-performance mid-size SUV twins become the new flagships of the latest GLC-Class range until the GLC 63 S E Performance versions arrive later in the year.

They sit upstream of the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC SUV and Coupe, priced from $103,370 and $113,900 plus ORCs respectively.

Standard equipment includes 20-inch AMG multi-spoke light alloy wheels, rear axle steering, Ride Control suspension with adaptive damping, three-stage AMG speed-sensitive steering and five dynamic select drive modes.

Inside, there’s full leather upholstery, a Nappa leather AMG steering wheel, a head-up display, panoramic sunroof, MBUX infotainment system with augmented reality navigation, inductive phone charging and heated front seats.

A broad range of advanced safety systems are also on board, such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, active lane keep assist, active lane change assist, cross traffic assist and traffic sign recognition.

Along with a more swoopy roofline and revised rear-end styling, Coupe variants delete the polished aluminium roof rails that are standard on the SUV.

On trend with Mercedes-Benz’s latest high-performance models, including the Mercedes-AMG C 43 sedan launched last year, the GLC 43 is powered by a smaller, but more powerful, drivetrain than before.

While its predecessor pumped out 287kW/520Nm from a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, the new GLC 43 uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine (M139) delivering 310kW at 6750rpm and 500Nm at 5000rpm.

There’s an extra 10kW for short periods under full throttle courtesy of the 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

The engine is paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission and AMG’s 4MATIC all-wheel drive system, with a rear-biased 31/69 front/rear per cent torque split.

The latest GLC 43 is also slightly quicker than its predecessor, with a 0-100km/h claim of just 4.8 seconds (previously 4.9sec).

By comparison, the incoming GLC 63 S E Performance can hit 100km/h in a claimed 3.5sec, thanks to an uprated 500kW plug-in hybrid version of the 43’s powertrain.

Compared to the regular Mercedes-Benz GLC 300, AMG has also beefed-up the GLC 43’s braking system, with four-piston callipers and 370mm ventilated brake discs up front (single-piston callipers and 360mm discs at the rear) and added an AMG exhaust system for aural enhancement.

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