An SUV that hands power to luxury

The speciality of the Mercedes-Benz cars is that they possess the right ingredients to make anyone turnaround and grab another look. When these cars are heavily built with supreme aesthetics and a unique design, of course it will be the centre of attraction on the road.

With these special qualities, it is indeed a pleasure for one to take the latest Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe on a journey which reiterates what makes Mercedes-Benz the luxury car legend that it is. The sporty, yet luxurious attitude in design, the GLC 43 Coupe was the third AMG model that was launched in India last year, and the fourth one that was added to the 43 series AMG line-up.

A Sedan-SUV mix

The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe is actually different in terms of its design. When seen from the front, the big bonnet makes it look like a luxury sedan, and when seen from the rear, it looks like a heavy-built SUV. This unique look in the car is the special distinction.

The scooping roof and tight tail light gives the real show value for Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe. The quad exhaust, aerodynamic spoiler and large disc brakes behind the (Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach) AMG 19-inch wheels will give a hint of the performance potential of the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe. The sporty bumper and chrome pinned grill is another special feature that says this is not a regular GLC. Final comment, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe is marginally longer and lower than the standard GLC.

Colourful cabin

Besides the special features on the exterior, the makers have designed a colourful cabin inside.The red car that was driven had matching colour accessories inside. For instance, the cabin had red seat belts and red double stitching all over. Another loved feature within are the sculpted seats. Besides adjusting the height and length, one can also adjust the squab length, which is another speciality in this category. On the whole, we feel sporty inside the cabin too. All this is while sitting in the front two seats. However, being seated in the rear seat would be a tad tight if the car is packed with up to five people. The leg room and head space is tight for tall people, and the small windows also pose a setback for the otherwise airy atmosphere in the rear seat.

Adequate equipment on board

The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe is loaded with ample equipment on board – the sun roof, surrounded Burmester audio system and Mercedes command online system that allows one to use the Internet by connecting to a phone. One will get access to Internet radios and can even browse websites.

Spare tyre space

The spare tyre for the car ironically eats up the maximum boot space in the car. This is quite disappointing, where the car is looking like a world tourer, but has less boot space. This can be a big drawback.

How is it to drive?

With all these luxury features within, the driving part is where one can actually understand and get the feel of Mercedes. The sporty noise from the twin-exhaust will drive one even more crazy, and draws the attention of onlookers on any busy road. The engine noise hums at lower speeds, rumbles at steady speeds, and growls at high speed. This noise makes any driver feel as if he were driving a sports car. The goose-bumpy sound would actually make one to even tone down the audio system, and enjoy the sporty noise from the engine.

The 3-litre twin turbo V6 engine will deliver 367hp (5500-6000rpm) and 520nm (2500-4500rpm) of power, which makes its way to all four wheels through a 9-speed automatic gear transmission and an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. Besides, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe also comes with the standard air suspension, and there are drive modes for the engine gear box and steering as well. Apart from having good ground clearance, we can also increase the height of the car by increasing the height of the suspension, which makes it ready for any road condition.

Another highlight of the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe is the three modes for the suspension – Comfort, Sport and Sport+. Comfort is good for normal drives with economical speed, Sport will help you cruise on those roads with substandard condition by avoiding major jerks, and Sport+ is the mode that needs be used, felt and loved when the car is actually on good roads.

Good road grip

The body control is good, and it is effective at the sharp curves, which results in less body rolls. The grip in all four wheels will make one feel safer inside the cabin. The makers claim that this car can reach 100 kmph in 0-4 seconds, however, it could not be tested, but it is possible.

The makers have claimed that the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe will return a fuel efficiency of 12 kmpl, but with such high power output from a 3.0-litre engine, it is better to assume that the quoted fuel efficiency figures might be only in the Eco mode.

Attractively priced

Compared to the Mercedes AMG brand, this car is aggressively styled, with more power than actually needed for daily driving. The buyer can take it to the plushest places without feeling intimidated, while he can immediately take it to out on a dirt road in the countryside too. With Rs 74.80 lakh (ex-showroom), the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe is attractively priced as well.