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The 3.0-litre V6 isn’t as wild as the larger V8 AMG engines
Performance – The GLC 43 isn’t a hard core AMG because, well, it is a 43 and not a 63, meaning it comes powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine. The powerplant churns out 367 HP at 5500-6000 RPM and 520 Nm at 2500-4000 RPM. The engine starts off with a mild grunt and the settles down to a consistent rumble that isn’t really loud. The mill also feels very refined and vibration-free. Dab the throttle and the car will react to inputs instantaneously and will pick up pace quite swiftly and 0-100 km/hr comes up in a claimed 4.9 seconds. Turbo lag isn’t really felt and the GLC 43 is quick off the line. The mid-range is powerful and the surge continues till the redline, and that’s when the exhaust note sounds sporty too, urging you to push the car further.
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Different driving modes completely alter the car’s behaviour
Power is sent to all 4 wheels but with a bias towards the rear wheels
The 3.0-litre engine has been mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox. The transmission does its duties well, gear shifts come up just as you expect them to and there’s no noticeable lag between shifts. On the highways, if you’re cruising down at 100 km/hr in top gear, the RPM needle hovers around the 1400 RPM mark. Mercedes offers the usual driving modes like Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual on the GLC 43 and the different modes do transform the way the car behaves on the the road. Sport mode is the one which feels best suited for highway jaunts because the SUV feels so much more responsive while Comfort can be used while you’re out doing your daily duties. Sport+ can be limited to track usage but it is extremely fun on empty roads too but throttle response becomes way too sharp.
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The GLC 43 gets a stiff suspension but has excellent body control
Driving Dynamics – The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 comes with a stiff suspension set up. The ride is felt quite hard inside the cabin and because of this, every small pothole or bump filters inside loudly. However, the body feels very controlled due to the stiff set up and in spite of the car being so bulky and large, body roll still feels very much under control. The air springs also allow you to increase the ride height of the car. Talking about the steering, it is a tad heavy and offers good feedback too. The GLC 43 feels extremely confident when you push it around corners and while there is slight understeer, the car feels planted and offers an engaging driving experience too.
