Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 v Porsche Macan GTS 2017

The reality is that sports car lovers around the world owe much to the new Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and Porsche Macan GTS, for both vehicles are the very reason that some of today’s (and tomorrow’s) finest supercars even exist.

Yep, with SUVs in seemingly unlimited demand at present, both Mercedes and Porsche have cashed in with high-performance derivatives of both the GLC and Macan, among other spin-offs.

Both variants tested here are already an overnight hit with Australian consumers – despite their circa $100,000 price tags.

The upshot of both is the continued development of sports car icons like the AMG GT and the 911. The added (and increasingly satisfying) benefit is two magnificent high-riders equally capable of tackling family duties as they are hot laps of a race circuit.

A new world order of sorts.

First question: why?
Neither offering here pretends to fill the void of a traditional sports car, just fund it.

Instead, the general idea behind the GLC and Macan is that they offer decent performance with some semblance of practicality, thanks to liveable interior proportions and high-riding comfort.

The theory has already paid huge dividends.

The Macan comfortably outsells its nearest Porsche sibling, while the GLC is already storming to the top of its respective company hierarchy barely 12 months from first reaching local dealerships. It is now the second biggest selling Merc model.

Closer look – GLC 43
The GLC 43 represents the first performance-oriented incarnation from the GLC-Class SUV line-up. Loosely based on the C-Class sedan, the ‘43’ moniker designates the same V6 engine line used on the C 43, SLC 43, E 43 and so on.

But this will not be the last AMG performance spin-off from the GLC family, with the folks at Affalterbach said to be developing a V8-powered GLC 63 variant. We can only hope.

Until then, the 43 tops the line-up at $101,400 (plus on-road costs). Power comes from a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 that makes 270kW and 520Nm – more than the Macan GTS on both counts, the record will show. The engine isn’t your typical hand-built number from the AMG factory; it is produced down the road in Stuttgart, perhaps a telling statistic.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic. And like the Porsche, there are different driving modes to either temper or enhance the 43’s surfeit of performance.

The 43’s sleek exterior is line-ball with the donor GLC, save for wider wheel arches and a deeper front air-dam and grille. You also get side steps like the regular model.

Standard 21-inch wheels surround the GLC 43’s 360mm front disc rotor and 320mm rear – equal to the Macan’s stoppers up front and slightly smaller than its 330mm rears. Re-worked sports suspension positions the 43’s ride height 15mm lower to the ground than the GLC donor car.

The internals are also familiar. Premium materials adorn the dashboard and door trims and its seats offer decent long-journey comfort without matching the lateral support of the Macan GTS.

As standard, the 43 gains a panoramic sunroof and front electric seat adjustment with memory function. It also trumps the Porsche with a push-button ignition. The infotainment screen sits atop the dashboard in a tablet-like layout, conveying key functions including a 360-degree bird’s eye camera, linking moderately well with a controller in front of the centre console.

The GLC 43 is covered by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with service intervals set at every 12 months or 20,000km. The Porsche matches the Mercedes’ warranty but gets tighter recommended servicing intervals of 12 months or 15,000km.

The GTS draws power from a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, the same as that found in the lower-spec Macan S. In this form, power has been ratcheted up to 265kW at 6000rpm and 500Nm from 1650-4000rpm – courtesy of tweaked intake and exhaust plumbing which increases boost pressure from 1.0 to 1.2bar.

With permanent all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch (PDK) transmission as standard, the Macan GTS also benefits from a 15mm lower ride height, adaptive suspension and brakes borrowed from the Macan Turbo.

As with the Mercedes’, the Porsche features clever torque vectoring technology. The Macan ousts its rival with a launch control function that sounds ballistic, allowing the engine to do its best impression of a world rally car.

The GTS’ positioning is punctuated by sporty bucket seats, black interior theme and an airplane-style dashboard centre fascia that is laden in buttons and switchgear, many duplicated on the … touchscreen. The driver positioning is close to ideal; low-slung, with all the controls placed thoughtfully.

Which one tracks better?
There were some curious second glances from onlookers in the stands as the Macan pushed its way through notorious turn one at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP, formerly Eastern Creek) earlier this month.

Watching an 1895kg SUV tackle a racetrack is a little like someone with a new hip undertaking a marathon. At least that’s what you’d think.

Contrarily, the Macan was a pure delight around SMSP. Well short of a 911, sure, but still easy to fling in and out of corners, and very difficult to fluster.

First and foremost, the steering is typical of a Stuttgart export; crisp, well-weighted and full of feedback. Ditto the impressive level of chassis communication, which enables agile changes in direction and lends the feeling that you’re in something much smaller and lower to the ground. The high-riding stature isn’t infallible; but work with it and it’ll work with you.

By comparison, the slightly lighter (at 1855kg) GLC 43 struggles to harness its weight with the same efficacy. Body-roll through corners is more prominent, it dives harder (and less effectively) under brakes and the steering cannot manage the same innate precision and feel of the competitor.

The big masterstroke for the Macan, as with nearly every modern Porsche, is its excellent PDK transmission – which simply outshines the more pronounced, less intuitive shifts from the Benz’s nine-speed. The Macan’s seven-speed managed to offset the slight power deficiency with brilliantly-timed shifts and a propensity to continually hunt for the middling revs, where the 3.0-litre V6 really thrives.

The caveat for the Porsche is that the latter feature is most rewarding with an optional Sports Plus feature that is available as part of a $2690 Sports Chrono suite. Bit ordinary that you have to fork out for the full amount of performance.

While it is technically the slower of the two, the Porsche (with a 5.2sec 0-100km/h time against the Benz’s 4.9sec) feels more energetic in middling to upper revs. By comparison, the ‘Benz meets its 6500rpm rev ceiling faster than you anticipate, catching itself out on the track.

There were no arguments over which V6 sounded better, either, the Porsche’s raspy, shrieking six easily accounting for the Benz’s relatively droney and bassy tenor. At times, the latter even drew comparisons with a six-pot Commodore with a milo tin tacked on the back. Albeit, a slightly more sophisticated cover.

Tyres were also a key factor during track testing, the Porsche’s wider Michelin Lattitude Sport rubber standing up to short stints of punishment.

Meantime, the Mercedes’ inferior Continental Sport Contact hoops moved around a lot more, balling up rubber and feathering on the outer edges in the process. It may have had something to do with all that weight…

Which is the easiest to live with?
That’s easy, the Mercedes.

We spent a week with each, covering roughly 800kms. Neither were hard to live with or particularly fussy, but the GLC simply did the day-to-day stuff better.

For one, the Benz’s proportions are much friendlier, especially rear-seat space. Knee, toe and head dimension are generous, while its friendlier rear outlook and larger side mirrors simplify the driver experience.

Comparatively, the Macan’s back seat is better suited to two-ups only, thanks in part to its narrower proportions, inferior leg space and high-perched middle seat and high-set transmission tunnel.

In saying that, those who do service the rear-most bleachers do get rear air vents, a 12-volt outlet, bottle-friendly door pockets and a flip-down centre armrest – just like the ‘Benz. The child anchor points are also equally well accessed.

The GLC boasts quick-folding seats like the Porsche, with the additional advantage of instant release buttons from the boot.
The GLC’s 550-litre boot measures 50 litres larger than the Macan’s offering, however, the Macan wins points back with a space-saver spare tyre over of the GLC’s inflation kit.

Engine-wise, both the Macan and GLC offer loads of useable, everyday power. We did take issue with the Macan’s insistence in finding higher gears in Comfort mode, as it took away from mid-range power and meant the seven-speeder was busy shifting back and forth during speed sign changes and overtaking manoeuvres. Admittedly, the push for lower revs did hand the Porsche a lower real-life fuel reading during an extended economy run – just 8.7L/100km versus the Merc’s 9.1L readout.

By the same token, the GLC offered a nicer compliment of on-road power, bringing punchier straight-line performance across its five-mode engine setting programs.

In terms of bump compliance, the Mercedes was the suppler of the two – over small amplitude imperfections at least. It resisted the temptation to bob and weave like the Porsche, perhaps reflecting its less sporty pretensions.

Conversely, it was the Macan that felt smoother over harsher undulations, resisting the temptation to crash or thud through the cabin. The latter point is reflective of either vehicle’s suspension tuning, but also the fact the Mercedes runs standard 21-inch alloy wheels, while the Macan runs on smaller 20-inch metal.

The other weighting in favour of the Benz is active safety, a polarising feature for this segment, but one the GTS simply cannot answer to.

The GLC 43 features as standard automonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist and an electrically adjustable steering column.

The Macan misses out on all of this, though it is worth mentioning that, like the Mercedes, it features full airbag coverage and excellent electric driver assistance. Important or not, the lack of active safety is something to consider.

But as for which performance SUV performs better as a performance SUV? It has to be the Macan.

Sure, the Porsche’s slightly smaller dimensions, more expensive sticker price and seemingly inferior power outputs lend the AMG a distinct advantage, but the end game is more than what either model boasts on paper.

Just like buying a sports car, rationale isn’t a pre-requisite. The Porsche is the one you keep going back to, the one you want to grab first with a free track in front of you, and the one that rightly deserves the high-riding title.

Raw, sleek and visceral, the Macan GTS is an everyday SUV with serious sportscar DNA.

What we liked:
>> Straight line power
>> Interior space
>> Standard equipment/safety
Not so much:

>> Gearbox less suited to performance duties
>> Boomy exhaust note
>> Harsher ride quality

What we liked:
>> Driveline teaming
>> Cornering agility
>> Fit and finish
Not so much:
>> Smaller rear seat dimensions
>> Relatively expensive
>> Top-spec performance optional