What's all this about?
In what is turning out to be an extraordinarily busy year for Mercedes-Benz and its subsidiary, Mercedes-AMG, here we've got another of those '43'-badged AMG models. This time, it's the GLC mid-sized SUV that gets the going over.
Does that mean it has the 3.0-litre biturbo V6 and four-wheel drive?
Yup, the giveaway to its hardware being the 'BITURBO 4MATIC' lettering you can spy on the GLC's front wings. This twin-turbo petrol engine in this format delivers 367hp at 5,500- to 6,000rpm with 520Nm of torque from 2,500- to 4,500rpm, the same as the C 43 Coupé, but therefore with slightly less power than the equally new E 43. Drive goes through a nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmission (which is promised to be super-sharp and rev-matches on downshifts) to all four wheels with a 31:69 per cent rear-biased distribution. In a mid-sized SUV weighing 1,845kg, performance is brisk: 0-62mph takes just 4.9 seconds and the top speed is the de rigueur 155mph limited maximum. It's even reasonably good on fuel, with 34mpg combined and CO2 emissions of 189g/km.
Has Affalterbach done anything else to the chassis?
Indeed so; the GLC 43 4Matic gets AMG Ride Control sports suspension with three-stage adaptive damping, five driving modes available through AMG Dynamic Select and a set of internally ventilated compound brakes, perforated at the front, with disc diameters of 360- and 320mm front-to-rear respectively.
Crikey! How about the looks of it, then?
The GLC 43 sits on 19-inch five twin-spoke alloy wheels, while at the front are large air intakes, a bespoke radiator grille and a 'louvred' bar stretching either side of the three-pointed star emblem. At the rear, you'll find quad exhausts and a diffuser; what else from an AMG? Inside, a sports steering wheel and some bucket front chairs make it feel special, while Mercedes-AMG will offer options including even deeper sports seats, carbon-fibre dash trim, full leather upholstery (as standard the GLC 43 has Artico man-made leather) and a set of 21-inch wheels as part of the Night Package.
Is there any likelihood of a 63-badged GLC, then?
Good question; we're not sure, is the fudging answer. Tobias Moers, the CEO of Mercedes-AMG, said: "With the new GLC 43 4Matic, we are offering an AMG model in the mid-size SUV segment for the first time. The new SUV from Affalterbach marks the pinnacle of the GLC product range and in the AMG portfolio it closes the gap between the GLA [45] and GLE [63]." Of course, at 367hp the GLC is only 7hp up on the current 2.0-litre, four-pot GLA 45, which is likely to get the 381hp engine of the revised A 45 and CLA 45 models sooner rather than later. Which means there's the potential to drop the C 63/AMG GT 4.0-litre V8 into the GLC, meaning at least 476hp... we like the idea of that even more than the GLC 43.
When will this newcomer go on sale?
Mercedes-AMG will premiere the GLC 43 4Matic at the New York Auto Show at the end of March, with an appearance in UK showrooms slated for the summer.
Matt Robinson - 16 Mar 2016