2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe – No Coupe Here!
The folks at Mercedes-Benz HQ in Stuttgart truly have no regard whatsoever for automotive naming convention. Not only are there four doors plus a hatchback on the GLC Coupe, but it is not even a car…!
SUV...? Crossover…? Eh…
So what do we really have here? Let’s start with Mercedes’ recently
introduced GLC mid-sized SUV. A well designed
and engineered vehicle getting a substantial amount of kudos from the
automotive press. Now let’s chop the
rear roofline down and lower the thing a bit in the name of sport and
style.
Actually, I place much blame on MB’s rival, BMW. A while back, BMW created this sport SUV niche
with the creation of the X6, based on their “normal” X5 SUV. Mercedes followed with their GLE Coupe, based
on the GLE SUV. BMW fires back with the
X4, based on the mid-sized X3. MB now
returns fire with the GLC Coupe.
Sheesh…!
There will be two flavors of the GLC Coupe, the first being
the 4-cylinder powered base model with 241-hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. This is the same engine proliferating the
C-Class and GLC lineup. A 9-speed
transmission shifts the gears, driving the 4Matic all-wheel drive. All of the usual Mercedes tech bits are
either standard or can be had with a check of the right boxes on the order
form. The next step up in performance
will be the AMG
GLC 43 (pictured), from the Benz performance wing. This will bump you up to a V6 biturbo engine
spitting out 362-hp, 384 lb-ft of torque, and several speeding tickets…!
GLC Coupe interior bits are lifted from the C-Class and GLC,
meaning you get one of the best driving environments in the class.
To my eyes the GLC Coupe is the best realization of this aesthetically
challenged class of SUV, certainly better proportioned than their larger GLE
Coupe. I suspect you will see a sampling of
this new buggy at your favorite high-profile valet stand in the near future.
Due in showrooms early next year, if a sporty hauler is your thing, the
GLC Coupe is definitely worth a look…
Marty Feldmann, The Connoisseur, is the
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