Looking for a high-performance luxury utility vehicle but want something with a bit more visual flair? If you find the standard Mercedes-Benz GLC a little too ordinary, consider the coupe variant, especially in AMG GLC43 guise. Its gently sloping roofline provides extra pizzazz, while its pumped-up powertrain delivers ample performance. You could debate until the proverbial cows come home about whether this four-door SUV is actually a coupe, but regardless of what side you fall on, it's both dynamic and upscale.

This Mercedes is easy on the eyes, with a perky backside and smiling front end. For 2020, it has received several design tweaks including a new grille, an enhanced lower rear fascia and slimmer headlights for a slightly more menacing appearance. Black-finish quad exhaust tips and optional 20-inch wheels accentuate my tester's generally tasteful appearance. But that drooping lid is still a head-scratcher -- if not a head-basher -- to me. To be fair, Mercedes-Benz is far from the only automaker doing this.

This version of the GLC is still pretty spacious inside -- cargo capacity hasn't been as savaged by that roofline as you might expect. The coupe offers around 17.7 cubic feet of room behind the rear seats and about 49.4 with the backrests folded. The standard GLC43 SUV is only slightly more spacious, offering 19.4 cubes behind the rear seats and 56.5 with them upright.

Comfort in the GLC43 AMG Coupe is generally good. The front chairs are firm and supportive, trimmed in MB-Tex imitation leather and Dinamica artificial suede. If you prefer a material shucked off an actual animal, a range of genuine leather is offered for more. A super-premium Nappa leather is also available in striking black and white. This vehicle's front buckets are also heated and provide plenty of bolstering without being too snug. Unfortunately, the backseat is less hospitable, barely able to accommodate my 6-foot frame. There is enough space for my legs, but headroom comes up short, causing my noggin to touch the ceiling. Also, the rear backrest is too upright to be comfortable for long.

Inside the GLC is Mercedes-Benz's new steering wheel with touch-control buttons. These little nubbins on the tiller's spokes make it easy to navigate through the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, or reconfigure the available 12.3-inch instrument cluster. Curiously, those digital gauges are not standard. The rest of this vehicle's cabin is pleasant, with plenty of high-quality materials and substantial-feeling controls. From the air vents to the door handles, everything is solid and feels premium. The bright-red seat belts are oh-so cool and match the contrast stitching on the seats, door panels and dashboard. About the only thing I don't care for is the infotainment system's trackpad, which takes up quite a bit of space on the center console, and the black-colored ash-wood trim. It looks and feels a bit too much like plastic, but other options are available.

Per usual, the GLC Coupe's MBUX infotainment system is highly responsive and easy enough to use, but it offers a lot of functionality -- potentially too much. In some ways, it reminds me of a computer's desktop operating system, since it has more layers than phyllo dough. There are also lots of shiny UI elements and drop shadows which I'm not necessarily a big fan of since they look outdated. But hey, at least the system is super responsive and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the range. One example of how complex MBUX can be is how you adjust the exhaust system or the dampers. I count four ways of doing this: dedicated buttons on the steering wheel, a rotary dial on the steering wheel, separate switches on the center console or via the infotainment screen. There are also multiple instrument-cluster designs to choose from, too. Talk about overkill!

The GLC43's engine delivers a healthy 385 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque. Aided and abetted by a highly responsive nine-speed automatic transmission with a torque converter instead of a multi-plate wet clutch, which is offered in other high-performance Mercedes-Benz models, this vehicle can rocket to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds, a properly quick (if not bone-crushing) performance. An AMG-tuned all-wheel-drive system ensures this SUV can put that power to the pavement, even in adverse conditions. If you want more speed, consider one of the GLC63 variants. They're propelled by a 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 that, in S trim, delivers an impressive 503 horsepower.

Driven normally, this machine is plenty sporty, its transmission is smooth and very quick to change gears when you're in a playful mood. Unfortunately, this gearbox is not quite perfect, as it has a slight lag when taking off, when you roll on the accelerator from a standstill. This delay is pretty annoying and doesn't seem to change even when rifling through the various driving modes.

Grievances aside, this powertrain is reasonably efficient for the performance it provides. The GLC43 Coupe is rated at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on highway drives. Combined, you should expect 21. In mixed use, I actually topped that estimate, averaging 21.7 mpg according to the trip computer, which isn't too shabby.

The AMG GLC43 Coupe's adjustable air-suspension system offers three different damper settings: comfort, sport and sport+. Per usual, I prefer leaving it in comfort, which provides a ride that's still pretty tuat but never sloppy. It's a little more forgiving than the other two settings, though, honestly, I don't notice a huge difference in ride quality between any of them. The GLC43 is firm and well behaved.

Comfortable and well made, quick and light on its feet, the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe is good fun and suitably luxurious, but it's still a product not everyone will understand. Honestly, I'd rather just have the standard GLC and call it a day, but if you want something a little swoopier, by all means consider the coupe.

A strong entry in the small premium SUV segment the GLC-Class features a well-defined exterior and a stylish interior that focus' on passenger safety and comfort. Also available is the AMG GLC43 performance model. The GLC-Class features three different models the rear-wheel or all-wheel drive GLC 300, or the all-wheel drive AMG GLC43 performance model. The GLC300 drivetrain has a 241-hp 2.0-liter inline-4 engine matched with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The AMG GLC43 includes a twin-turbocharged 362-hp V6 engine, also coupled with a 9-speed automatic transmission. GLC models are equipped with 18-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels depending on model, cruise control, 10-way power front seats, and dual-zone automatic climate control. Standard safety features include electronic stability control, electronic traction control, brake assist, active front head restraints, as well as front, side, and side curtain airbags. Also standard are a driver knee airbag, Collision Prevention Assist, and Attention Assist. Available features include 19-inch and 21-inch alloy wheels, a panorama sunroof, a Burmester sound system, and a navigation system. The GLC-Class is a carry-over for the 2020 model year. Adding the Storage Package as a standard option on all trims and heated windscreen wipers to all trims except the rear-wheel drive GLC300.

The GLC is an all wheel drive 4 door with 5 seats, powered by a 3.0L TURBO V6 engine that has 270 kW of power (at 5500 rpm) and 520 Nm of torque (at 2500 rpm) via a Nine-speed Automatic G-Tronic. Mercedes-AMG claims the GLC 43 4MATIC uses 8.8L/100km of Premium Unleaded Petrol in the combined city and highway cycle while putting out 203g of CO₂. It has a 66L fuel tank, meaning it should be able to travel 750km per full tank.

The GLC measures 1605mm (63.2 inches) in height, 4737mm (186.5 inches) in length, 1890mm (74.4 inches) in width with a 2873mm (113.1 inches) wheelbase that brings about a total of 1855kg (4089.6 lbs) of unladen weight. The GLC 43 4MATIC comes standard with 255/40 R21 front tyres and 285/35 R21 rear tyres. It requires a service every 12 months or 25,000 km, whichever comes first. It has a 36 month, unlimited kilometre warranty.

Features

• 4.0L V-8 Engine
• 9-spd auto w/OD Transmission
• 385 @ 5,500 rpm Horsepower
• 384 @ 2,000 rpm Torque
• 4MATIC all wheel Drive type
• ABS and driveline Traction control
• 1st row regular express open/close sliding and tilting glass Sunroof
• 20" machined w/painted accents AMG aluminum Wheels
• Front air conditioning, dual zone automatic
• Driver and front passenger heated-cushion, heated-seatback Heated front seats
• SiriusXM AM/FM/HD/Satellite, seek-scan Radio
• 1st row LCD monitor
• Keyfob (all doors) Remote keyless entry
• Rear Fog/driving lights
• Heated mirrors
• Windshield wipers - rain sensing
• MB-Tex leatherette Seat trim
• Driver and passenger Lumbar support
• COMAND APS with voice activation Navigation system

2020 Mercedes-AMG GLE43 Coupe 4MATIC
Vehicle type: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

ENGINE TYPE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in³, 2996 cm³
Power: 362 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 384 lb-ft @ 1800 rpm

TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.8 in
Length: 192.6 in
Width: 78.7 in
Height: 67.7 in
Cargo volume: 23 ft³
Curb weight: 5180 lb