WeeklySA_AdminCoupe: Mercedes-Benz SA unleashes two powerful variants to complete their midsize amg series
By Ali Mphaki
In football terms it could easily be described as a double substitution.
Yet, the launch of the Mercedes-AMG 63 S E PERFORMANCE Coupe and the Mercedes AMG GLC 43 4MATIC Coupe in SA this week, now complete the midsize series from Mercedes-AMG, with two newcomers coming hot on the heels of the recently introduced GLC AMG SUV models.
The main distinguishable feature of the new Mercedes-AMG GLC Coupe is its sporty silhouette with a flowing transition to the rear, a design that can be described as more evolutionary than revolutionary when compared to the first model.
Both the new models, however, cannot be mistaken for anything else, but a Mercedes SUV, even though there is the temptation to confuse the new GLC for the GLE.
In concert, however, is that both models look the part, wearing more aggressive styling elements and racier interior treatments than the standard Benz-branded GLC300 upon which they’re based.
Face to face with the new AMG CLC Coupe you get drawn by its headlights which connect to the top of the AMG-specific radiator trim with a tendency to emphasise the width of the vehicle. The AMG front apron in jet wing design with large air inlets, vertical fins and additional flics sets striking, independent accents. Side edges emphasise the sporty proportions and the powerful wheel arches.
The rear conjures echoes of Booga Luv’s Reverse Yo Mhlaba, with the two-part taillights visually widening the rear view with a black, dark red connecting element. The AMG‑specific rear apron in a diffuser look (GLC 43) or with an additional diffuser board (GLC 63 S) as well as the two double tailpipe trims (round on the GLC 43, trapezoidal on the GLC 63 S) reinforce the powerful impression.
The manufacturer boasts that the two newcomers offer pure performance in every ride, which is why at the heart of the new Mercedes-AMG GLC models is the AMG 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, which propels the Mercedes‑AMG GLC 43 4MATIC to reach a rated output of 310 kW at 6750 rpm.
The maximum torque of 500 Nm is available at 5000 rpm and the GLC 43 4MATIC accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 250 km/h.
Mercedes says the integrated starter generator, 48 V electrical system and the Formula 1 derived E-Turbo technology makes it the most powerful and efficient engine in its segment.
I am, however, like most enthusiasts more likely to be attracted to the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E PERFORMANCE Coupé, said to be endowed with the world’s most powerful series-produced 4-cylinder turbo engine designed as a plug-in hybrid, paired with a powerful electric motor featuring a turbocharger built on Formula 1 technology.
The top-of-the-range-topping GLC63 S E Performance model is offered with an electric motor to boost power output to 671 horsepower and 752 lb-ft of torque – enough to cover the mandatory 0-100km sprint in a blistering 3.1 seconds.
Like the 43 model, the 63 also comes standard with all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic. An adaptive suspension system is standard on both models.
The high-performance battery in the GLC 63 S E PERFORMANCE offers a capacity of 6.1 kWh, 80 kW continuous power and 150 kW peak power for ten seconds. Charging takes place via recuperation or the installed 3.7 kW on-board charger with alternating current at a charging station, wall box or household socket. The battery is designed for fast power delivery and draw, but offers not for the longest possible range of 12 kilometres.
What is likely to excite enthusiasts is the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 9G with a wet start-off clutch. When you break loose from a standstill, at your pleasure is the RACE START function, the AMG ACTIVE RIDE CONTROL, the AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive, all with the aim to ensure dynamic AMG direct handling and superior traction.
Inside the ambience is typical Mercedes, the modern design including art-deco-inspired air vents on glossy carbon fiber dashboard, optioned with a host of luxurious features, including a panoramic sunroof, illuminated door sill plates, ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, and leather upholstery. AMG sports braking system and AMG exhaust system with sporty engine sound
The AMG sports brake system in the GLC 43 comes with Internally ventilated and perforated brake discs measuring 370 x 36 millimetres with 4-piston fixed callipers are fitted to the front axle and 360 x 26 millimetres with 1-piston floating callipers to the rear.
In keeping with the extreme power values and the associated performance, the AMG high-performance composite brake system with 6-piston fixed callipers at the front (internally ventilated and perforated brake discs 390 x 36 mm) and 1-piston floating callipers at the rear (internally ventilated and perforated brake discs 370 x 26 mm) comes as standard on the GLC 63 S.
Pricing:
Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupé: R1 911 750
Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E PERFORMANCE Coupé: R2 930 000
All pricing include Vat, 5 year/100 000km Service Plan and Maintenance Plan
Shocked by the price, you probably missed out what the outies in the kasie say when referring to an AMG – After My Graduation, they say.
Motoring: Briefs
NO GAS IN CAPE TOWN
An unexpected shutdown at the Astron Energy Refinery in Milnerton has caused delays in fuel deliveries to stations throughout Cape Town this week. Several petrol stations in and around the city are running low on fuel, leading motorists to travel outside the city to fill up. Siganeko Magafela, the head of supply security at the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa, stated that the cause of the unplanned shutdown has not yet been determined. [EWN]
REMEMBER THE HAVAL H9?
Well, the nameplate looks set to return to Mzansi, with GWM South Africa saying the 2nd-generation version of the ladder-frame SUV is “definitely planned” for the local market. However, the Chinese firm’s local division hasn’t yet committed to a firm launch date for the new H9 – which would arrive as a belated successor to the original model that was discontinued locally around the middle of 2022 – since it’s still settling on what it terms the “right powertrain” for the South African market.
Desmond Els, Sales Director at GWM South Africa, made the comments during a wide-ranging interview conducted in Cars.co.za’s custom-built podcast booth at Naamsa’s recent South African Auto Week 2024 in Cape Town. “There’s a reason I don’t want to divulge [all the details], but the car’s definitely planned – it’s coming … But there’s one reason [we haven’t officially announced it]: we need to find the right powertrain as a solution to this vehicle,” Els said when asked if the new H9 would come to South Africa.
VW HALF-TON BAKKIE STALS
VW Group Africa’s boss has revealed that an SA-built half-tonne bakkie derived from Kariega’s upcoming small SUV is looking “a bit more unlikely” than before…Back in April 2023, the head of Volkswagen Group Africa told us “there is hope” that an SA-built half-tonne bakkie spun off the upcoming new small SUV could be produced at the Kariega plant. Now, however, she has revealed that such a scenario is – though “not decided” – a “bit more unlikely” than before.
Martina Biene, Chairperson and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group Africa, told Cars.co.za about these latest developments during a wide-ranging interview conducted in a custom-built podcast booth at Naamsa’s recent South African Auto Week 2024 in Cape Town.
Thanks to the Wolfsburg-based automaker’s R4-billion investment in its South African operations, production of the as-yet-unrevealed new small SUV (which VW refers to as the “A0 Entry SUV”) is scheduled to commence at the Kariega facility in the Eastern Cape in early 2027. But is the half-tonne bakkie spin-off still on the cards?
JIMNY ELECTRIC
You can always look at the glass half full or half empty. In the case of the Suzuki Jimny, it’s not the fact that it’s no longer on sale, but the fact that we’re looking forward to the new model, which will arrive later this decade, between 2025 and 2030. If Suzuki’s internal plans have not changed, it will be an electric SUV and, according to the image provided by the brand, it should retain the rectangular, vintage aesthetic that has been so popular with customers around the world. In addition, the car seems to have gained centimetres in width and more importantly it is slightly closer to the ground, so it gains in sportier ‘stance’. And it even has a five-door body for added versatility. We like it a lot!
ONE MORE THING….
Car owners are relying on ‘old school’ security measures to safeguard their luxury vehicles from organised criminal gangs stealing motors using the latest tactics. New research has found that car crime worry is so great that well over a third of owners are using additional security measures that were popular in the eighties and nineties, including steering locks and bollards. The return of these ‘old hat’ security products has been driven by increased concerns regarding keyless vehicle thefts, with over three quarters of luxury cars featuring keyless entry and start systems.
More than 350 vehicles are stolen every day as Britain’s car crimewave shows no sign of slowing, official figures reveal.
