Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4Matic Coupe : Observations after a day of driving

The 0-100 km/h time of 4.8 seconds is very much believable. The transmission in fact has a Race Start function where it understands that you’re in a Drag race-like setup and optimizes the acceleration from a standstill.

Driving the 2.0L Turbo Petrol AT

The 2.0L inline 4-cylinder M139 turbo-petrol engine makes 416 BHP and 500 Nm of torque. It is mated to a 9-speed AMG Multi-Clutch transmission. The car has AMG Performance 4Matic which sends 31% of the power to the front axle and 69% to the rear axle:

Internationally, there’s also a GLC 63 S coupe which gets the same 2.0L 4-cylinder petrol, but in a higher state of tune. Additionally, it also gets an electric motor which puts the combined power output at 671 BHP and 1,020 Nm of torque. The 2.0L turbo-petrol engine that we get in the GLC 43 doesn’t come with an electric motor. It comes with an electric exhaust gas turbocharger which is a technology that has been derived from the Formula 1 car. This system finds a middle ground between choosing a small turbocharger (less turbo lag) with low peak performance and a large turbocharger (more turbo lag) with high peak performance. It features a small electric motor that is integrated directly into the turbocharger shaft and sits in between the turbine wheel on the exhaust side and the compressor wheel on the fresh air side. In simple words, this is done to improve the engine response and basically eliminate turbo lag. The turbocharger is operated via a 48-volt on-board electrical system which also includes the belt-driven starter generator.

Fire up the engine and it growls to life. I was surprised as I didn’t have to do an AMG emotion start. The engine on its own did a blip of the throttle when it came to life. The nice growl from the exhaust at the start is something you will never get tired of. Knowing the nature of the engine and the power under the hood, I started in Comfort driving mode just to get a baseline of how it is to live with the car on a day-to-day basis. With a light foot on the throttle, the GLC 43 is smooth in delivering the power in Comfort mode. It’s not eager to jump and doesn’t feel jerky. Surprisingly it was like driving the regular GLC. Even Axe77 who owns the latest GLC 300 was surprised at how similar the car felt when driving sedately in Comfort mode. Driving around in bumper-to-bumper traffic didn’t feel like a task. The engine’s response at the bottom end is linear and not very dramatic. In fact, you might be left wondering if this is even an AMG. Keeping up with traffic and making those quick overtakes is very easy and the GLC 43 felt comfortable driving around in the city. The controls are light and the seating position is quite commanding as well so you have a good frontal visibility. I especially like the size of the GLC 43 as it’s perfect for Mumbai where the traffic is quite dense and it is easy to manoeuvre this coupe SUV.

Out on some open roads, you can flex your right foot and enjoy the performance on offer. Even in Comfort mode, the engine doesn’t feel sluggish at all. It has more than enough power for highway overtakes and you can cruise peacefully as well munching miles. Switch to Sport+ or Race mode and the car completely transforms. It turns from this calm Golden Retriever to an angry Rottweiler. All the senses are heightened and you can feel that the car is just waiting for your inputs to deliver all that power. The throttle response is sharp and the GLC 43 just jumps when you bury the throttle. Did an acceleration run from a standstill and didn’t even realize when the speedometer reached 120 km/h.

The 0-100 km/h time of 4.8 seconds is very much believable. The transmission in fact has a Race Start function where it understands that you’re in a Drag race-like setup and optimizes the acceleration from a standstill. In Sport + or Race mode on open roads, you realize how sharp the entire setup is. You cannot be indecisive with the throttle or the brakes. Getting on and off the throttle has to be smooth and precise. If not, you will have passengers who are wondering if you even are a good driver because the whole car will feel jerky. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier to connect with the car and utilize the performance on offer. There is almost no turbo lag and the engine pulls hard throughout the rev range. While the redline is marked at 7,000 rpm, the transmission upshifts at roughly 6,000 rpm.

The 9-speed automatic transmission’s clutch runs in an oil bath and is a multi-clutch setup. It is a smooth transmission in Comfort mode and just like the engine, it becomes extremely aggressive in Sport+ or Race mode. The upshifts are aggressive and in kickdown mode, the gearbox doesn’t hesitate to downshift even 4 gears instantly. Get off the throttle and you can feel the downshifts with a jerk. That’s how aggressive the Sport+ and Race mode are! If you want a smooth drive, it’s best to stick to Comfort mode.

The AMG exhaust system can be activated by a button on the steering wheel and it is a pleasure to hear this exhaust. It is not the performance variable exhaust like in the GLE 53, but this one sounds just as good. You don’t get the pops and bangs though, and it’s just a nice exhaust overall. You can switch off the loud exhaust in Comfort mode and it will sound like a regular GLC.

The GLC 43 gets AMG ride control suspension with an adaptive damping system. It adapts the damping on each wheel based on the chosen driving mode (Comfort, Sport and Sport+). Our test car had the optional 21-inch wheels shod with 265/40 R21 tyres up front and 295/35 R21 tyres at the rear. 20-inch wheels are available as standard. When I started driving around in Comfort mode, I expected the ride to be very stiff. It isn’t unbearable though and it is very livable. The 21-inch wheels make the ride busy as you feel a lot of the road. There is an underlying stiffness to the suspension which is what you would expect from a German car. Even on the highway, the GLC 43 stays planted and there’s not much vertical movement at high speeds. When you switch to Sport or Sport + mode, the suspension setup gets extremely stiff. The ride is bone jarring in these modes and that’s not what you want when cruising on the highway.

Where the stiff ride quality of the Sport and Sport + mode shines is when you want to have some fun on twisty roads. The handling is very precise and the car reacts exactly how you want it to. Turn into a corner and you can feel the immense grip from the tyres and the drivetrain. The car holds the line very well and you can carry good speed into a corner without any understeer. The steering has a good amount of heft and gives good feedback when in corners. Another trick up the sleeve of the GLC 43 is that it has active rear axle steering which operates with a maximum steering angle of 2.5 degrees. As is with rear-axle steering, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels up to 100 km/h and in the same direction above 100 km/h. This makes quick direction changes very easy.

The AMG brake system has internally ventilated and perforated brake discs. You get 4-piston fixed calipers on the front axle and 1-piston floating calipers on the rear axle. The stopping power is excellent and even with 50% brake pressure, the GLC 43 sheds speed very effectively. The brake pedal is very precise and takes some time getting used to.

All in all, the GLC 43 is an out-and-out fun car to drive. It has loads of power that is accessible and a chassis setup that is potent enough to handle it. It is aggressive when you want it to be (Sport + mode) and comfortable as well when you want to just get from point A to point B. The duality is what people want from a performance SUV and that's what the GLC 43 delivers.

The 2.0L engine is developed at AMG’s Affalterbach location and follows the “One Man, One Engine” principle:

The GLC 43 gets AMG ride control suspension with an adaptive damping system: