2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe review: Vanity over versatility

Seeking for a large-overall performance luxurious utility auto but want a little something with a bit more visible flair? If you find the regular Mercedes-Benz GLC a very little far too normal, look at the coupe variant, specially in AMG GLC43 guise. Its gently sloping roofline provides excess pizzazz, although its pumped-up powertrain delivers sufficient overall performance. You could debate until the proverbial cows appear household about irrespective of whether this 4-doorway SUV is essentially a coupe, but regardless of what side you tumble on, it truly is both dynamic and upscale.

This Mercedes is effortless on the eyes, with a perky backside and smiling front close. For 2020, it has gained several design and style tweaks like a new grille, an improved decrease rear fascia and slimmer headlights for a a little more menacing overall look. Black-complete quad exhaust strategies and optional ($two hundred) twenty-inch wheels accentuate my tester’s frequently tasteful overall look. But that drooping lid is nevertheless a head-scratcher — if not a head-basher — to me. To be honest, Mercedes-Benz is considerably from the only automaker accomplishing this. The GLC Coupe has several soggy-prime rivals like the BMW X4, Porsche Cayenne Coupe and impending Infiniti QX55. 

Regardless of its collapsed profile, this model of the GLC is nevertheless very roomy inside — cargo capability hasn’t been as savaged by that roofline as you could possibly expect. The coupe delivers all over 17.seven cubic ft of room guiding the rear seats and about 49.4 with the backrests folded. The regular GLC43 SUV is only a little more roomy, providing 19.4 cubes guiding the rear seats and 56.5 with them upright.

2020 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe: Increased model, decrease practicality

See all pictures

Comfort in the GLC43 AMG Coupe is frequently good. The front chairs are business and supportive, trimmed in MB-Tex imitation leather-based and Dinamica synthetic suede. If you choose a product shucked off an actual animal, a vary of legitimate leather-based is presented for $one,620 more. A tremendous-quality Nappa leather-based is also offered in putting black and white, although this combo expenses an added $3,one hundred. This vehicle’s front buckets are also heated and offer a good deal of bolstering without being far too snug. However, the backseat is considerably less hospitable, scarcely able to accommodate my six-foot body. There is plenty of space for my legs, but headroom comes up small, causing my noggin to touch the ceiling. Also, the rear backrest is far too upright to be snug for extended. 

Within the GLC is Mercedes-Benz’s new steering wheel with touch-manage buttons. These very little nubbins on the tiller’s spokes make it effortless to navigate by means of the 10.twenty five-inch touchscreen infotainment program, or reconfigure the offered 12.3-inch instrument cluster. Curiously, individuals digital gauges are not regular, they price an excess $750. The rest of this vehicle’s cabin is nice, with a good deal of large-high quality components and significant-feeling controls. From the air vents to the doorway handles, everything is good and feels quality. The vibrant-purple seat belts are oh-so interesting and match the distinction stitching on the seats, doorway panels and dashboard. About the only matter I you should not care for is the infotainment system’s trackpad, which normally takes up very a bit of space on the centre console, and the black-colored ash-wood trim. It seems to be and feels a bit far too substantially like plastic, but other selections are offered. 

For each standard, the GLC Coupe’s MBUX infotainment program is very responsive and effortless plenty of to use, but it delivers a whole lot of performance — possibly far too substantially. In some means, it reminds me of a computer’s desktop operating program, due to the fact it has more layers than phyllo dough. There are also a lot of shiny UI things and fall shadows which I’m not essentially a huge lover of due to the fact they glance out-of-date. But hey, at the very least the program is tremendous responsive and both Apple CarPlay and Android Car are regular across the vary. One particular illustration of how intricate MBUX can be is how you change the exhaust program or the dampers. I depend 4 means of accomplishing this: dedicated buttons on the steering wheel, a rotary dial on the steering wheel, independent switches on the centre console or by using the infotainment screen. There are also multiple instrument-cluster patterns to choose from, far too. Talk about overkill!

Regardless of obtaining a price tag tag north of $70,000, my AMG GLC43 Coupe nevertheless lacks a vary of handy highly developed security features. Things like lane centering, adaptive cruise manage and computerized large beams are not regular. In its place, these features, and other people, are bundled in the $one,seven-hundred driver-aid deal. It looks Mercedes-Benz is obtaining alternatively Porsche-esque in how it handles selections. For occasion, they want $450 for ventilated front seats, $250 for a heated steering wheel, $760 for three-zone local weather manage and an excess $two hundred for an emergency spare tire. Get in touch with me nuts, but this stuff ought to be regular on a auto that expenses as substantially as the AMG GLC43 Coupe.

Fortuitously, Benz hasn’t skimped out in the powertrain section. Determination is presented by a 3.-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that is both sleek and potent. Respiratory by means of an optional and driver-selectable AMG overall performance exhaust program ($one,250), the motor will make all sorts of snorty seems when labored tricky. If you you should not care for all the theatrics, you can recork individuals pipes at the thrust of a button, which will make this Mercedes as silent as Camry.

The GLC43’s motor delivers a healthy 385 horsepower and 384 pound-ft of torque. Aided and abetted by a very responsive nine-speed computerized transmission with a torque converter in its place of a multi-plate damp clutch, which is presented in other large-overall performance Mercedes-Benz styles, this auto can rocket to sixty mph in just 4.seven seconds, a effectively fast (if not bone-crushing) overall performance. An AMG-tuned all-wheel-generate program ensures this SUV can put that electric power to the pavement, even in adverse ailments. If you want more speed, look at one of the GLC63 variants. They’re propelled by a 4.-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 that, in S trim, delivers an outstanding 503 horsepower.

Driven generally, this machine is a good deal sporty, its transmission is sleek and very fast to alter gears when you are in a playful mood. However, this gearbox is not very perfect, as it has a slight lag when using off, when you roll on the accelerator from a standstill. This delay is very annoying and will not look to alter even when rifling by means of the several driving modes. 

Grievances aside, this powertrain is fairly productive for the overall performance it provides. The GLC43 Coupe is rated at 18 miles for every gallon in the town and 24 mpg on freeway drives. Combined, you ought to expect 21. In combined use, I essentially topped that estimate, averaging 21.seven mpg in accordance to the excursion personal computer, which is not far too shabby.

The AMG GLC43 Coupe’s adjustable air-suspension program delivers three various damper options: ease and comfort, sport and sport+. For each standard, I choose leaving it in ease and comfort, which provides a ride which is nevertheless very tuat but never ever sloppy. It is a very little more forgiving than the other two options, although, actually, I you should not notice a huge change in ride high quality among any of them. The GLC43 is business and properly behaved. 

The AMG GLC43 Coupe is about $3,five hundred more high priced than its more common two-box counterpart. My tester rolled off the assembly line in Bremen, Germany wearing a $seventy one,805 price tag tag. That overall features $995 in shipping and delivery costs and just shy of eleven grand in selections, although it could have been pushed properly into the 80s without substantially work. 

Comfy and properly manufactured, fast and light-weight on its ft, the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe is good enjoyment and suitably magnificent, but it truly is nevertheless a product or service not anyone will realize. Honestly, I might alternatively just have the regular GLC and contact it a day, but if you want a little something a very little swoopier, by all means look at the coupe.