Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe 2017 Review

Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC Coupe
International Launch Review
Faro, Portugal

The GLC Coupe has been an unsurprising hit wherever it's landed. Now the half-way AMG step of a twin-turbo V6 makes gives it a swift, secure, surprisingly enjoyable top-end mid-size SUV. It's fast, its powertrain sounds sophisticated, its in-car tech is nearly unmatched in the class and it's almost polite.

AMG has just launched the hard-hitting, track-focused GT R sports car. And, at the same time, in the same place and on the same roads, it launched the warmed-over SUV that will probably pay for it.

The GT R, to be fair, will be priced at a point to pay for itself, even if it never makes an actual profit. The same won't be said for the GLC 43 Coupe. It will more than pay for itself.

We've driven the GLC Coupe before, with plenty of engine varieties. We've also driven the '43' engine -- a biturbo modular V6 -- before, too – including in AMG's (non-'coupe') GLC 43.

It is an engine that looks great on paper, with 270kW of power and 520Nm of torque, reasonable fuel efficiency for this level of performance and it's also relatively light.

What it isn't is a V8, and it replaced AMG's old atmo 6.2-litre V8 in the SLC (its maiden name was SLK, if you're struggling to keep up with Benz's sporadic name swaps) without covering itself in glory. It was strong enough, sure, but not remotely in the old SLK 55's ballpark for noise, emotions and theatre.

The good news is that AMG has figured a few things out about this engine since then and its note has gone from "errr, what?" in the SLC to "hey, that's not bad" in the GLC. Of course, it helps that the V6 isn't replacing a bigger engine in the GLC Coupe, because there wasn't one.

This body shape, size and genre didn't exist until BMW decided its X6 needed a little brother, for the thousands who knew they really needed an X3 but felt compelled to trade practicality for popular derision and general finger pointing. Oh, sorry, and style.

So what you've got in the GLC 43 AMG is a small SUV, aligned roughly with the C-Class sedan and wagon, that will get to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds, will reach a limited 250km/h top end and will be flexible and strong at all points in between.

Yes, 4.9 seconds. Don't gloss over that, because the thing is actually pretty sharp in a straight line and its all-wheel drive system and all manner of electronic fizzery make it surprisingly useful when the roads aren't straight anymore.

The direct-injection V6 is always smooth, willingly flexible and it's also urgent when it's in its Sport or Sport+ modes. By most measures, it's a pretty fast little car, though "little" is a relevant term. It's 1855kg on the EU standard (1780kg DIN), so it's not like the engine is throwing a pebble up the street. It's only "little" if you compare it to the GLE or GLS.

The biggest issue with the SLC is the engine note and while it's better here, and smoother, it still sounds a little bit like there's some interesting noise going on somewhere that's then squeezed and compressed down a pipe before it gets to you. It's the didgeridoo of exhaust notes.

There's depth to it, and sophistication, but there's something vaguely artificial about it all by the time it reaches the cabin, kind of like it's had a weird Instagram filter laid over it.

That is just the noise, though, and only really on big throttle openings. Leave it in its default settings and it's a nice enough sound and any vibrations you feel coming from it will never betray the effort it needs to deliver its performance.

Then there's the other bit that has to battle 1.8 tonnes of steel, aluminium, leather, copper wiring and body fat: the suspension.

Another variant of Benz's air suspension system, the three-chamber setup also gives new steering knuckles and load-bearing joints to the four-link front axle, more negative camber on the five-link rear end than the stock GLC Coupe and stiffer elastokinematics.

Basically, it's geared up to go where you point it, not to wander off into places you don't want to be and it whips around bends impressively, even if you sit a long way above the car's roll centre. When you take full advantage of all the grip beneath you, if generates enough cornering force that it sometimes feels like you're sitting on top of a pogo stick that's leaning the wrong way.

But the job still gets done, with grip, poise and very little apparent effort. That's helped a lot by the all-wheel drive system, which is active, clever and accurate.

The only trouble with this combination of air suspension and all-wheel drive is that it can feel a bit foreign down there. There's a lot going on, and even the most mechanically ignorant would know that subconsciously even if they ignore the sheer weight of the thing, and it can feel like it's taking you out of the equation.

You point it where you want it to go and it works out a way to pull it all together for you. It's not really handling. It's more like a concierge service. For a lot of people, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but is that really why you come to the AMG badge?

It doesn't matter whether the car is in Comfort, Sport or Sport+ modes, it just keeps giving the impression of overwhelming competence. The drive keeps moving around the car as you need it, the spring rates stiffen and soften as required, with the front ones even stiffening under brakes and softening under acceleration.

If you eventually manage to outrun all of that, the skid-control systems are clean, helpful and more or less invisible. And then there is the collection of driver assistance systems like emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance and the list goes on.

The brakes are big and strong, too, with 360mm front discs clamped by four-piston calipers, and it bites down on 235/55 ZR 19 front tyres and 255/30 ZR19s at the rear, though most people will step that up a level.

It's got everything inside that the top end of the GLC family usually gets, so a 7.0-inch multi-media screen, full leather, thick carpet, wifi and two USB connectors.

For most people, if the 4734mm length fits and you can live with the Coupe's reduction in versatility (bearing in mind it still has 461 litres of standard luggage capacity), the going, riding, gripping and handling package will be just fine.

2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6
Output: 270kW/520Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km
CO2: 192g/km
Safety rating: TBA