Mercedes GLC coupé range doubles, including a performance diesel and AMG GLC43 coupé

With the Mercedes GLC now well-established as daily sight on South African roads, this GLC SUV is being joined by a coupé version, which is arriving here any day now.

The article of the GLC coupé announcement was titled “Mercedes GLC coupé – the SUV-coupé fusion of intelligence and emotion”.  This a still a summary of what the sloping-roof SUV is.

OK, not really a coupé, but when Mercedes started the whole 4-door coupé debacle with the original CLS, it stated that a coupé refers to the roofline, rather than a car with 2 doors.  Still, the GLC coupé and GLE coupé (like X4 and X6) are 5-door coupé-roof SUVs, whereas only the Evoque coupé is an actual 3-door.

GLC coupé range doubles

The sensible logic would be that the coupé model simply ditto’s the GLC 5-door model line-up:  both are available in the GLC220d, GLC250, GLC250d and now also in GLC300 choices.  But it differs in the GLC350d, below:

0-100 = l/100 = 6.2

However, for the GLC coupé, a V6 diesel will be on the table as a sort of higher-performance diesel SUV-coupé, designated GLC350d coupé.  It uses the familiar 3.0 TD V6 engine, issued with 190kW and 620Nm, which means you have a sporty-looking SUV with acceleration of 0-100km/h done in 6.2 seconds… which is in hot-hatch territory.  Yet, when driven for economy, the l/100 km combined claim is also 6.2.  The 0-100 and l/100 both equal 6.2, giving power and economy.  That’s more power/torque than a Porsche Macan S diesel or BMW X4 30d.

AMG GLC43 coupé

So you want a coupé or a sports car, but the wife/children make owning such a car impractical, yet you don’t want an SUV as it is so regular these days… so how about an AMG version of an SUV with a coupé roofline.  

Can’t get comfortable seeing yourself in the GLC43 SUV or in the big bad (in a good way) Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S coupé, then your local Merc-AMG dealer may have what meets you and your family’s desires:  the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 coupé.

Yes, the same un-shy V6 turbo engine which seems to have quickly become the staple food of the mid-AMG line-up is now in Mercedes’ sportiest smaller-size SUV.

With 270kW at 5500-6000 r/min and 2500-4500 for the 520Nm of torque, this don’t-be-sad-about-that-sports-car-you-can’t-have can sprint the 0-100 time in 4.9 seconds, which is on par with the likes of the AMG SLC43.  The GLC is heavier, but more practical, and with 4Matic 4x4, it means you get much better traction out of corners… and you can take the family on that dirt road to see the wild.

GLC coupé models and prices for South Africa

If you want to travel in style, be prepared to open your wallet.  Just like the more stylish coupés command a premium over their more practical sedan/SUV counterparts, the GLC coupé is ballpark R100k more over the same-engined GLC 5-door.

The GLC 5-door SUV ranges from around R650k for the GLC220d to R934k for the AMG GLC43, and prices for the GLC coupé are:

The current models:
GLC220d coupé	R 738 522
GLC250 coupé	R 745 600
GLC250d coupé	R 757 522

     

The newly-added range-doubling models:
GLC300 coupé	R 801 398
GLC350d coupé	R 900 486
Mercedes-AMG GLC43 coupé	R 1 029 362

Other brands are available:  the Mercedes GLC coupé takes aim at the BMW X4 (though with no X4 M40i for the local market, BMW SA and its fans lose out) and Porsche Macan S (with a 3.6 V6 turbo, currently R 1 113 000 with the 3-year Driveplan) or the GTS to compete with the GLC43 performance.  Macan turbo?  Perhaps AMG will put the V8 turbo in a GLC63, after all?