The GLC Coupe bows in this weekend, and caps off a busy but successful year for Mercedes-Benz here.

Words Hubert Tang ‘Dynasty’
Pictures Manufacturer

SINGAPORE — Concept cars have a way of raising expectations, and so it was with the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe early last year at the Shanghai auto show. But now that the production model has landed, it’s clear that the pin-sharp looks of the prototype have survived.

The idea of a compact crossover coupe isn’t new — BMW beat Mercedes-Benz to the punch with the X4, itself arriving on the heels of the gargantuan X6 — but the GLC Coupe shows how, if you’re late to a party, you might as well arrive the best-dressed.

For one thing, it’s proportioned nicely. At 4.73 metres long, 1.6 metres tall, and with a wheelbase of 2.87 metres, the Coupe is some eight centimetres longer and four centimetres lower than the GLC on which it is based.

There are shades of S-Class coupe, too, from the raked rear window (sans wiper) to the cinched-in waistline, culminating in the narrow split-tail lights and integrated spoiler lip. The way each element marries visually into a pert derriere, a Frenchman would smile in approval.

Only one version is in town now, but a hotter model is on the way. The entry-level GLC 250 4Matic Coupe has a 211hp, 2.0-litre in-line four with 350Nm of peak torque between 1,200 and 4,200rpm. It costs $237,888 with COE.

In 2017 the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4Matic Coupe arrives, presumably in a cloud of tyre smoke.  With a 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo under the bonnet, it has 367hp to play with. and hits 100km/h in 4.9 seconds. That puts it in Porsche Macan Turbo territory.

As the “4Matic” part of the cars’ names suggest, they’re fitted with all-wheel drive. Both have Merc’s 9G-Tronic nine-speed auto, although in the AMG model it’s tuned for faster shifts.

You can have a taste of that if you test drive the AMG C 43 4Matic, a car that Mercedes is introducing alongside the GLC Coupe.

For the uninitiated, consider it a gentler welcome to the world of AMG hilarity (or you could think of it as an analogue to BMW’s M Power label, which sits below the M badge), one step down from the manic C 63 (and even more manic C 63 S).

All the “43” models have the same 367hp bi-turbo V6, along with all-wheel drive and sharper suspension. They’re rapid but not insanely so — the C 43 hits 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds.

They look the part, too, with big air scoops, bodykitting, large wheels and AMG badging to signal their potency. The seatbelts come in red, as something of a signature.

The all-wheel drive system is rear-biased (with 33 percent of the engine power for the front axle, and 67 percent to the rear axle) to make the C 43 feel more agile, but as an everyday drive it should be comfy like you’d expect from the “Mercedes” part of its name.

READ MORE > What we think of the C 63 S, the little Merc that thinks it’s a Lambo

The arrival of the GLC 250 Coupe and AMG C 43 cap off what has been an extra busy year for Mercedes here. In 2016 the brand launched at least seven new or updated models in Singapore, a product offensive that will slow down next year.

That’s helped the brand retain its luxury crown in 2016; by November’s end it led chief rival BMW with 6,046 registrations to 4,395.

Nevertheless, BMW’s year-on-year sales have grown faster than those of Mercedes. That success has been based on the popularity of smaller, cheaper, diesel-powered models.

What’s clear, as 2016 comes to a close, is that continuing growth for Singapore’s luxury players will mostly come as they take sales not from each other, but from everyone else.

NEED TO KNOW Mercedes-AMG C 43
Engine 2,996cc, twin-turbo V6
Power 367bhp at 5500-6000rpm
Torque 520Nm at 2000-4200rpm
Gearbox 9-speed automatic
Top Speed 250km/h (limited)
0-100km/h 4.7 seconds
Fuel efficiency 8.0L/100km
CO2 183g/km
Price $315,888  incl. COE
Available in Singapore Now