Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC 43 Coupe Review & Prices

The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe is like buying a pair of really stylish shoes from Marks & Spencer. They won’t be as wow-inducing as a pair of Manolo Bhlaniks, but they’ll be comfier to wear, simpler to look after, and will probably last you longer. 

If the ultra-high-powered plug-in hybrid AMG GLC 63 S is the Manolo Blahniks in this equation, then the GLC 43 is definitely closer to the Marks & Spencer end, mostly thanks to just being simpler to use. Whereas the 63 develops its performance from a complicated mixture of petrol and battery power, the GLC 43 just uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. 

Mind you, it’s not just any old engine — the GLC 43’s power plant is one of AMG’s finest creations, using both an electric turbocharger (which minimises the wait-time between you pressing the accelerator and the car actually flinging itself forwards) and a mild-hybrid system (no need to plug it in) to develop 421hp, and a 0-62mph time of just 4.8secs. Yes, the GLC 63 S is faster still, but do you really need to go that fast? It is a shame, though, that the four-cylinder turbo engine doesn’t make as many nice noises as the old ‘43’ V6 turbo engine, but that said it still sounds good enough by four-cylinder standards. 

It helps too that the GLC 43 is some 300kg lighter than its more powerful brother, making it feel sharper in the corners and less wearisome in terms of its ride quality. This Coupe version trades a little bit of practicality for some extra style, and while you can argue all you like about how much sense an ‘SUV-coupe’ makes, the sweep of that rear roofline and the neat little duck-tail spoiler do look very good indeed.

Inside, the GLC 43 Coupe gets leather seats which are, sadly, not quite as nice as those of the 63, but the rest of the cabin is very good with excellent quality, a big but easy-to-use touchscreen, and plenty of space even in the back seats (as long as you’re not ferrying a basketball team around). 

It even manages to be pretty practical, only losing around 80-litres of boot space compared to the more upright SUV version of the GLC, and able to carry vastly more than the GLC 63, which has a boot badly compromised by the need to lug around a much bigger battery. 

In some ways, the AMG GLC 43 Coupe doesn’t make a whole heap of sense. Does anyone really need a high-ish-performance SUV with a chopped roofline that costs much more than a conventional GLC, but which still isn’t as madly rapid as the full-fat 63 version? However, drive the GLC 43 and it all kind of comes together in one neat package that actually represents a pretty good compromise of the all the different parts. 

We'll update this preview with an in-depth review once we've thoroughly tested the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe, so be sure in the meantime to browse through our latest Mercedes deals and used Mercedes cars for sale - and see how you can sell your car online through Carwow as well.

The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe is actually not carrying a massive price tag. In fact, it represents only a relatively small trade-up price from the GLC Coupe 300d diesel model, and is significantly more affordable than the AMG GLC 63 Coupe. OK, so the 63 is faster, but then how fast do you actually need to go? Price becomes a little more problematic when you realise that a Porsche Macan GTS is pretty much the same price, but is more powerful and much sharper to drive. Likewise, the BMW X4 M40i xDrive is actually slightly more affordable than the AMG GLC 43, and while it has a little less power, it does boast a smoother six-cylinder engine. Audi doesn’t really make a direct rival, but there is the SQ5 Sportback, which is — again — a little more affordable, and comes with a tremendous V6 turbo-diesel engine (which also has an electric turbocharger). 

Standard specification for the AMG GLC 43 Coupe includes a 9-speed automatic gearbox, selectable AMG driving modes, 20-inch alloy wheels, ‘Digital Light’ LED headlamps, rear axle steering, AMG sports seats and steering wheel, augmented reality navigation, leather upholstery, and a built-in dash cam.