Exclusive: We drive AMG’S GLC 43
AMG has breathed on the GLC SUV with unexpected results. David Linklater takes it for a spin.
Mercedes-benz’s midsized SUV, the GLC, has plenty of polish. There’s no doubt about that. In fact, it’s our Top Premium SUV for 2016.
If there’s been anything missing to date, it’s been some edge. A bit more interest for the enthusiast.
That’s always been coming, of course, because M-B has a little shop out the back called AMG that specialises in giving its mainstream models that edge. Sometimes the edge is huge and shiny and sharp enough to make you scream.
Meet the Mercedes-amg GLC 43. It’s part of the German maker’s new ‘AMG sport’ lineup, which means it’s been substantially fettled by the tuning division but doesn’t quite reach full noise. Sort of an in-between thing.
In between, but not watered down if the GLC 43 is anything to go by. It’s not launched in New Zealand until next year, but we’ve just grabbed an early drive in Australia ahead of its first local appearance.
It’s a good thing – largely because it adds a lot of zing to the GLC package without losing much (if any) day-to-day driveability.
The GLC 43 will cost $117,400 in wagon form (as tested) when it arrives here in 2017. You can also have the same powertrain package in the GLC 43 coupe, for $123,900.
For the record, the current four-cylinder GLC 250 is $84,900.
The 43 packs an Amg-specific 3.0-litre V6 biturbo engine making 270kw/520nm. AMG claims it has technology directly derived from Formula One including Nanoslide coating on the cylinders (yes, that’s a real thing) and a sprayguided multiple fuel injection system.
The AMG engine is matched to a nine-speed automatic transmission that has a unique AMG calibration, including faster shift times and mutliple-cog downchanges. It can hit 100kmh in 4.9 seconds.
You can also have that same engine in both the larger GLE SUV and conventional C-class. They all wear the ‘43’ designation.
The sports suspension is based on Air Body Control, with Adaptive Damping System (ADS) Plus that can be adjusted in three stages: Comfort, Sport and Sport+.
The four-link front axle is fitted with special steering knuckles and load-bearing joints. There’s more negative camber on both the front axles. The 4Matic all-wheel drive is Amg-tuned (you can see a theme here) with a rear-biased torque distribution of 31 per cent to the front axle and 69 per cent at the rear.
It all sounds seriously fast and seriously techy. And it is.
But that has no bearing on the GLC 43’s driveability. This is a performance wagon you can drive every day.
Indeed, it’s a GLC you may want to drive more every day because it has a broader range of talents without going to extremes. Yes, you read that correctly: it’s an AMG product that doesn’t go to extremes.
The AMG body kit isn’t too shouty, and in Comfort mode it’s, ahem, comfortable. But even when you wind it up to Sport or even Sport+ it’s possible to drive it on public roads, in traffic even, and not go bonkers. You probably will favour the S-modes because the exhaust sounds nice and gurgly and the gearbox really gets on with business.
There’s also a fourth mode called Individual that allows you to mix-and-match powertrain and suspension settings.
Steering and handling-wise it’s supremely confident and wellbalanced without slapping you in the face with an overexcited demeanour. It’s no lightweight at over 1.8 tonnes, so the GLC 43 is at its most rapid (which is very rapid indeed) when driven smoothly.
That sounds a bit like faint praise but it’s not supposed to be. This is just a really appealing and characterful version of the GLC that feels special without being hard work.
True, by the time you’ve hit Sport+ the throttle response is abrupt and the nine-speed transmission is holding onto gears and slamming between them with a fair bit of force, but if you have any petrol at all in your veins it’s entirely feasible to select this mode without heading straight for the nearest circuit. That’s not always the case with AMG vehicles.
Standard equipment includes 21-inch AMG alloys, AMG styling, leather upholstery, Comand online navigation, head-up display, Burmester surround sound system and the M-B diamond grille.
Part of the reason why the GLC 43 is so... nice is that there will of course be a full noise version to come and it’s not too hard to work out that it’ll be called the GLC 63. Hold on tight. and rear