Mercedes-AMG lands solid punch in performance-crossover fight
2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 SUV Price as tested: $64,505 (base price: $55,825) Zero to 60 mph: 4.5 sec Top speed (governor limited): 133 mph EPA city/highway driving: 18/24 mpg
Couple the fungal bloom of crossovers with the spread of Mercedes-AMG’s welterweight “43” model designation, and this high-performance GLC-class compact luxury ute seemed inevitable. Fortifying the 2017 GLC43 with a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine, the AMG folks painted a bull’s-eye on Porsche’s comparison-test-winning Macan GTS, landing slightly on the softer side but with a more harmonious package.
A wagon-on-stilts derivative of the C-class sedan and coupe, the base GLC300 is a lovely if sobering mall runner powered by a 241-hp turbocharged fourcylinder. The step up to the GLC43 runs a hefty $13,750 but adds Benz’s gutsy — and increasingly ubiquitous — M276 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 and assorted hardware that dramatically alter the entry-level GLC’s performance and character. Mercedes also stirs in subtly pumped up fascias front and rear, a flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters and red contrast stitching, AMGspecific instruments, and red seatbelts. (Black belts like those on our test car can be substituted at no cost.) While the V-6 may not be one of AMG’s handbuilt engines, its raspy growl provides ample evidence of its 362 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque.
AMG has massaged the GLC’s nine-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive system for highperformance duty, the latter to direct more torque rearward (it splits torque 31/69 front to rear as compared with 45/55 in the GLC300). The AMG-enhanced transmission deftly rifles through its ratios, quickening shifts and aggressively downshifting when you switch from the standard Comfort driving mode to Sport or Sport Plus. There’s also a lazier Eco mode and an Individual setting that allows for the mixing and matching of throttle, steering, suspension, and gearbox parameters to your liking.
Although the GLC43 carries 236 fewer pounds than the 360-hp Macan GTS, the lack of a launch-control system limited the 4256-pound Mercedes to a 4.5-second run to 60 mph and a quarter-mile pass of 13.1 seconds at 105 mph — properly rapid for this class yet trailing the Porsche by a tenth on both counts. But compared with the regular GLC300 4MATIC, which needs 5.9 and 14.7 seconds to hit the same marks, the AMG is a rocket. EPA fuel-economy estimates for the SUV mirror those of the mechanically identical (but pricier) GLC43 coupe at 18 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined. We averaged 17 mpg in this test car; while that observed fuel economy is relatively poor on account of our exuberance, it’s 2 mpg better than what the
Porsche returned during a comparison test with the Jaguar F-Pace. The GLC43 averaged 23 mpg on our 200-mile highway driving test conducted at a continuous 75 mph, which is a more likely indicator of what owners would achieve on a road trip.
The Mercedes is slightly more softly sprung and capacious than the Macan; its 19cubic-foot cargo hold is one cube greater than the Porsche’s, but the latter’s sloping roofline limits rear-seat headroom. Yet the AMG moves with nearly the same fluidity, a quality unknown to lesser crossovers. The GLC43 shines on balance, its electrically assisted helm being precise and tactile for an SUV, thanks in part to a fortified front axle with more negative camber. AMG’s three-stage adjustable suspension affords excellent dexterity over challenging roads, yet the chassis always cushions occupants in a manner the stiffer Porsche simply cannot, even on our test car’s optional 21-inch wheels ($1,000) shod with 255/40 front and 285/35 rear summer tires (20s with all-season rubber are standard).
The sticky Continental rubber helped the comfier AMG obliterate the Macan’s skidpad figure (0.94 g to 0.88) and, with help from its upgraded brakes (14.2inch front rotors, 12.6-inchers out back), return a marginally shorter 154-foot stop from 70 mph.
While the $55,825 AMG GLC43 isn’t cheap, nor is it as focused as the Porsche at the limit, that amount of coin would barely get you into a 340-hp Macan S, while the more athletic GTS costs $12,000 more. Our vehicle also added the $2,350 Premium package (ambient lighting, illuminated doorsills, and navigation with a touchpad atop the COMAND system’s console scrolling wheel), $1,900 for black leather upholstery with red stitching, a $1,480 panoramic sunroof, an $850 Burmester premium audio system, $850 LED headlights, and $250 for a heated steering wheel.
But even at the as-tested price of $64,505, it’s an attractive and practical buy for those eager to own a spicy luxury crossover. With an eager demeanor and a beautiful interior shared with the C-class, including a back seat that will actually fit a couple of adults without complaint, AMG’s GLC43 is a formidable contender.