2024
Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC 43

The verdict: The 2024 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Coupe delivers driving excitement and cabin refinement, but it’s dampered a bit by a wonky transmission, poor rear sight lines and frustrating touch-sensitive controls.

Versus the competition: The GLC43 is more expensive and less efficient than some rivals, but it’s also more powerful.

The GLC is Mercedes-Benz’s entry in the luxury compact SUV class, and it’s available in a traditional SUV shape as well as a sloped-roof, four-door coupe version. The Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV was refreshed for the 2023 model year with updated tech and styling, and the coupe gets the same treatment for 2024.

Related: 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC350e Review: Use It or Lose It

The GLC comes in several flavors. For this review, I drove the AMG GLC43 Coupe; you can also check out Cars.com’s reviews of the GLC300 SUV and GLC350e plug-in hybrid. The coupe competes against other coupeified compact SUVs with sport-oriented models, such as the Audi SQ5 Sportback and BMW X4 M40i; see the models compared.

An Animal on the Road

The GLC43’s drivetrain is quite memorable — a little too memorable, perhaps, given how often I found myself thinking about its transmission. The nine-speed multiclutch automatic is unpredictable and unrefined, holding back an otherwise potent and capable engine.

And that engine has some big cylinders to fill: The 2024 AMG GLC43 Coupe’s 416-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder replaces the previous GLC43’s 385-hp, twin-turbo V-6. The new turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder is augmented by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, with all-wheel drive standard.

If you did a double take at these numbers, so did I — 416 hp is pretty bonkers for a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. It’s not surprising that this engine can feel edgy and high-strung in everyday driving, and this Mercedes’ sometimes surging, sometimes bogging automatic transmission doesn’t help.

Shifts are hectic in slower-speed stop-and-go driving, and it’s tough to pull away smoothly — even after a few days of getting acclimated to the car. There’s a pronounced power delay from the engine, and the transmission struggles to stay in step with its demands until higher speeds, where it meets your needs more quickly and predictably.

Several other characteristics combine to create a caged-animal driving dynamic, like a rowdy exhaust note, grabby brakes, twitchy steering and a brittle ride from the sport-tuned suspension — and that’s in Comfort mode. Switching drive modes to the most aggressive Sport Plus setting alters accelerator response, steering and shift patterns to really unleash the beast.

Overall, there’s an urgent, frantic quality to the driving experience that doesn’t quite match the coupe’s refined, luxurious interior (more on that below). Some drivers may like it, but the GLC43 is tuned a bit too aggressively for my everyday driving needs.

Against the competition, its fuel economy is just OK; the GLC43 Coupe is EPA-rated 18/24/21 mpg city/highway/combined, which is just slightly less than the SUV version. Compare that with the Audi SQ5’s 19/24/21 mpg rating from its 349-hp, turbo V-6 and the BMW X4 M40i’s 22/26/23 mpg rating from its 382-hp, turbo six-cylinder engine.

A Gilded-Cage Cabin

Although the GLC43’s road manners are unruly, the cabin’s vibe is sedate. The design is uncluttered and the materials are lovely —  even the MB-Tex imitation leather looks and feels like the real deal. My test model featured black seats and surfaces, with red accents, carbon-fiber trim and gloss-black paneling for a sporty, put-together look. Both the front and rear seats are supple and cushy, and aside from the engine, noises are well hushed. It all combines to create a calm, quiet and cozy experience.

Maybe a little too cozy for some, in fact: The GLC Coupe’s cabin is pretty small. At 5 feet, 6 inches, I fit fine in the driver’s seat, but a taller editor struggled to fit comfortably and had issues getting in and out due to the narrow door openings.

Poor visibility also complicates front-seat comfort. Views are heavily obscured straight back and to the rear corners thanks to the GLC Coupe’s sloping roofline and small rear windows.

Things are tighter still in the backseat. It’s wide enough for two adults, but the middle position is unusable thanks to a skinny seat width and large floor hump. The coupe has just 38 inches of max rear headroom, which is nearly 2 inches less space than the SUV, so taller adults will likely feel the pinch. Coupe-style SUV competitors offer similar backseat space.

Kids in car seats won’t fare much better. In our Car Seat Check, the GLC43 Coupe scored well for its easy-access Latch anchors, but rear-facing car seats earned lower grades due to the GLC’s lack of backseat legroom.

In terms of cargo space, the coupe again offers a little less space than the SUV version. Mercedes-Benz says the coupe has 21.5 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which is slightly less than the SUV’s 21.9 cubic feet. By comparison, the Audi SQ5 Sportback has 24.7 cubic feet of cargo space, while the BMW X4 M40i has just 18.5 cubic feet, according to manufacturer estimates. A hands-free power liftgate is standard on the GLC43.

Touchy Controls

While I like the clean, streamlined look of the GLC43’s controls, usability isn’t great for some of them. Like the SUV, the GLC Coupe has a redesigned dashboard with new floating displays, including an 11.9-inch tablet-style center touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster behind the steering wheel.

This new central screen houses the latest version of the MBUX multimedia system, but it also includes touch controls for things like climate functions — and therein lies the problem. While I found the infotainment system’s menu structure to be fairly easy to figure out, system responsiveness was an issue, with on-screen controls sometimes requiring multiple touches to get results, which can be frustrating.

The issue carried over to the steering wheel, which also features touch-sensitive panels that I kept nudging on accident — also frustrating. The MBUX system’s voice controls (via the “Hey Mercedes” voice prompt) worked well, but a physical button is just easier to use. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also standard, and Android Auto connected seamlessly during my drives.

More From Cars.com:

• 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Brings Electrified Power, Off-Road Tech
• Is the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 a Good Luxury SUV? 5 Pros and 3 Cons
• Mercedes-Benz GLC350e PHEV Starts at $61,050, Gets 54-Mile Electric Range
• Mercedes-Benz GLC, GLE Earn IIHS Top Safety Award
• Shop for a New Mercedes-AMG GLC43 Near You

Safety and Pricing

Blind spot warning, an attention monitor, and forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking are standard. You’ll have to spring for the Driver Assistance Package (an additional $1,950) to get things like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane-centering steering. Also optional is an augmented video system that uses live camera views for augmented-reality navigation functions.

Prices start at $71,750 (including destination) for the 2024 AMG GLC43 Coupe — a not-insignificant $5,650 more than the AMG GLC43 SUV. The competition starts lower: The 2025 Audi SQ5 Sportback starts at $63,095 and the 2025 BMW X4 M40i at $67,875.

The AMG GLC43 will appeal to a niche group of shoppers looking for coupe styling and performance-car dynamics in a luxury compact SUV body. I’m not in that group, but if you are, it’s worth checking out some rivals before you settle on this one.

Related Video:

We cannot generate a video preview. See the full review to watch it.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.