Mercedes-AMG, the high-performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, will launch the New Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 4MATIC+ in the Korean market in the second half of this year. It is a model that combines motorsports technology with the GLC, Mercedes' best-selling midsize sport utility vehicle (SUV), and only the 43 and 63 had been introduced in Korea. It is a car for those who want the space of a family car but also the thrill of driving like a sports car. It comes in two body styles, coupe and SUV, and among them, the coupe model was recently test-driven firsthand in Hamburg, Germany.
The size of the GLC 53 is 4,749 millimeters in length, 1,920 millimeters in width, and 1,635 millimeters in height. It is similar to the competing model, BMW's X3 M50 xDrive (4,755 millimeters, 1,920 millimeters, 1,660 millimeters). Overall, it balances sharpness and muscularity. The hood's muscle lines are divided into four streaks, and the large grille and air intakes gape open, blatantly revealing its high-performance DNA.
From the side, the wheel arches, more stoutly swollen than the regular model's, catch the eye. It looks as if it wants to grip the road and run. As the visual center of gravity drops along the side skirt line unified with the body color, the Turbo 4MATIC+ lettering engraved on the front fender hints that this is no ordinary family car. The spoiler at the edge of the rear trunk and the four round tailpipes, two on each side, finally confirm that it is a high-performance model.
Sitting in the driver's seat, the seat feels somewhat firm. The bolsters that hold the thighs and waist are deep to prepare for abrupt cornering. The dashboard is real carbon fiber, and the particle color shifts with the angle of light, giving off a high-tech vehicle vibe. At the center sit three round air vents reminiscent of engine injectors and a large, vertically oriented center display. Physical buttons are minimized to essentials like the hazard lights and volume. The steering wheel's control dials are arranged in two rows; at first it is inconvenient, but once familiar, it proved more convenient than a single-cluster design.
I drove through a congested downtown section in Comfort mode before entering the highway. Because the responsiveness is sharp, there were unintended hard starts and hard stops until my footwork settled in. The start-stop function, which automatically shuts off the engine when the car stops for a signal or in congestion and restarts it when moving off, was very quiet. Thanks to the second-generation integrated starter generator (ISG), a hybrid function delivering 17 kilowatts of output and 205 newton-meters of torque is installed.
As soon as I entered the highway with no speed limit and switched to Sport mode, the suspension firmed up, ready to run. Pressing the accelerator deeply, the speed instantly exceeded 200 kilometers per hour. What is distinctive is that the shift timing is somewhat late. This pushes the rpm (engine revolutions per minute) to the limit, allowing the driver to feel the engine's gritty texture to the fullest.
This GLC 53 is equipped with a 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine using twin charging, with an exhaust-gas turbocharger and an electric auxiliary compressor. It delivers a maximum output of 330 kilowatts (449 horsepower), and maximum torque—which governs acceleration—is 600 newton-meters. Using overboost, which controls the engine for 10 seconds at 5,200 rpm to enhance acceleration, torque rises to 640 newton-meters. It takes 4.2 seconds to reach 100 kilometers per hour from a standstill, and it can reach a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour. With the AMG Driver's Package option, the speed increases to 270 kilometers per hour.
AMG values the emotion of driving. Accordingly, it put effort into the GLC 53's exhaust note. At high speeds, the sound raises the heart rate enough that the driver instinctively presses the accelerator deeper. Thanks to a special resonator that amplifies the sound experience, the cabin felt as if it were filled with exhaust sound. The glass is noticeably thicker than on regular models, effectively blocking unwanted noise that is not the exhaust.
It was stable even when changing direction abruptly or entering a steep cornering section. This is due to the standard fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive. It increases driving stability not only on dry surfaces but also on wet or slippery roads.
The GLC also adopts for the first time an electronically controlled rear-axle limited-slip differential that calculates the left-right rear-wheel drive force in real time and sends or controls more power to one side. This enables sharp cornering that tucks tightly into the inside of a curve.
Combined fuel economy for highway and city is about 10.1 to 10.8 kilometers per liter (European standard). In the second row, when a 170-centimeter-tall adult woman sat, there was some knee room, but not much. The seat is somewhat firm, which may be a bit uncomfortable on long family trips. The domestic sales price will be announced in the second half.