Mercedes AMG GLC 43 – Performance Proudly Made in India
The car in question today is a performance car from India’s Number One Premium car maker Mercedes Benz. The car also happens to be of more significance because it comes from their Performance division AMG. This car also becomes the 1st AMG car model to be built in India, yes we talking about the Mercedes AMG GLC 43 Coupe.
Exteriors
The Mercedes AMG GLC 43 Coupe comes with the Panamericana AMG styled face which gets 17 vertical slotted grille finished in chrome with a large three pointed star Mercedes Benz logo placed in the middle along with the AMG moniker placed on the left boldly stating that this is an AMG. The front bumper is pretty rounded and also comes with a AMG diffuser on it that’s finished in glossy black.
You also get a practical air inlet on the outer edges that are there to enhance the aerodynamics on this performance sports coupe along with the 360 degree cameras. The Sports Coupe also comes with the new age design multi beam intelligent LED headlamps with the unique design DRL and Mercedes Benz branding in it as a neat touch. The car we drove came in a very sporty matt grey finish that looks like frosted grey.
The bonnet gets smooth character lines along with the Mercedes logo placed on it. The face of the AMG GLC 43 Coupe is very dominating. Coming to the sides, well it is here that you instantly realize the coupe character of the vehicle with the sloping roofline that neatly mates with the tail. The sides is pronounced with sharp waistline and blacked out window frame. The large wheel arches get fiber inserts that are unpainted and protrude out of the bodyline giving that extra sporty look.
The AMG GLC 43 gets multi spoked dual tone AMG alloys shod on low profile tyres and AMG calipers placed on large AMG discs. The rear tyre spec is larger than the front ones in typical performance sense. BiTurbo 4Matic branding is placed on the fender. The sides also get a proper load bearing footboard finished in metal. Wing mirrors get black housing while the roof also gets a sun roof.
Coming to the rear profile the AMG GLC43 what stands out here is the neatly integrated twin ring design LED tail lamps along with a chrome strip running just above it. The boot lid gets a practical large sized spoiler along with a large Mercedes logo that flips when you engage the reverse gear to activate the rear camera. The boot lid also sports the all important AMG branding along with the GLC43 moniker. The rear bumper houses practical quad exhausts along with the glossy black finished diffuser just like the front end. In stance the GLC Coupe looks like a beast waiting for its prey, has loads of road presence and instantly gets your attention.
Interiors
In terms of interiors the AMG GLC 43 Coupe gets an all black cabin area crafted in typical Mercedes AMG styling. The well sculpted soft touch dashboard gets metal inserts and red hand stitching on it highlighting its premiumness; the metal AC vents come with turbine styling. The center console comes with a 10.25 inch touch screen unit with the Mercedes MBUX system running it with all the desired connectivity options on it. You also get a special AMG settings loaded in the highly customizable MBUX system apart from the usual settings. You also get all the connected car features along with the Hey Mercedes voice commands on this unit.
You also get real wood finish on the centre console where you have the control track pad along with the other drive control buttons most important being the button to increase the exhaust note. You can set the exhaust to sport or sport + mode where the engine growls to the max. The steering is a typical high quality sports AMG steering with flat bottom and 12 o clock indicator. The flat bottom AMG steering gets leather wrapping, MFD control buttons and real metal inserts which is pure joy to grip. The instrument cluster is a 12.5 inch LCD color display which again is highly customizable especially for AMG graphical performance read outs.
The AMG sport seats come in premium black Alcantara finish with red hand stitching and bright red AMG seat belts. The seats are fully electrically adjustable and offer good support with comfort levels being pretty high. Speaking of the rear seats the comfort level is pretty neat, the roofline is lower this being a Coupe. The padding is hard and supportive; the back incline is good and supportive. At the rear you also get twin AC vents, USB C type charge points. Seating at the rear is best suited for two passengers due to the transmission tunnel that intrudes into the floor area. In terms of storage the AMG GLC 43 Coupe gets a boot space of 590 liters that can be further extended by folding down the rear seats.
Engine – Transmission – Drive
Powering this sports coupe is the 3.0L V6 Bi-Turbo petrol engine that makes a monstrous 390PS of power and generates 520Nm of torque. This engine comes mated to a 9-speed torque convertor automatic transmission. On the move well this being an AMG car the power delivery is instant and brings a smile to your face every time you floor the throttle. This 3.0-litre V6 has a sporty growl that sounds great from the outside and is one of the fastest around.
This AMG can go from 0-100kmph in just 4.9 seconds, which is incredible for a 1,845kg coupe. The engine produces 520Nm of torque between 2,000 and 4,200rpm, so while performance is superb from a standstill, it’s also great in-gear as well. If the mood takes you, the V6 will happily blast up to the redline without noticeable fall-off, as the maximum power arrives at 5,500rpm. And yes you also can have some super fun with this engine using the paddle shifters or toggling between the drive modes.
The nine-speed automatic gearbox is well-matched to the engine and depending on the driving mode; it can deliver smooth shifts or more aggressive changes. It’s part of the car’s dual character, where it can go from sedate cruiser to manic acceleration when you want it to. The suspension is tuned on the stiffer side this being an AMG with the fun factor being always super high. The steering is super sharp offering some good feedback at all speeds and drive modes. Braking is aided by AMG which again is very precise and has a sharp bite to control this very fast car. The overall drive quality is on the hard side and rightly so for a performance car of this caliber.
You always are reminded that you are driving an AMG due to the engine rumble in the background. The 4Matic AWD system works intelligently keeping this super fast sprinter always planted to the tarmac. The 9-speed AMG tuned transmission is very well balanced for this engine and holds its revs cleverly as per the need and drive conditions.
Verdict
The Mercedes AMG GLC 43 Coupe is a super fun car no doubt. The car has loads of style statement along with tons of performance loaded into it. The AMG GLC 43 looks mean and is a complete head turner. The car is priced at Rs. 77 Lakh making it a perfect option if you are looking out for a Performance Sports Coupe from AMG. Well the Mercedes GLC AMG 43 is now Made in India giving you one more reason to feel proud and go for it and also makes it cheaper than the earlier CBU version.
Words – Ritesh Madhok
Photography & Video – Govind Gadekar
