Mercedes-Benz GLC43AMG Vs Mercedes-Benz C43AMG

It’s the battle of the siblings once again and this time around our fight covers two siblings from the same hierarchy. We are talking about the GLC43 AMG and the C43 AMG. The former will launch in the Indian market on 21 July while the latter arrived here earlier this year and is priced at Rs 75 lakhs (all-India ex-showroom).

This will be the 10th AMG model to arrive on the Indian shores and will be the second one to arrive with the coupe SUV body style. Given its sporty leanings, we wanted to see how it will stand up to its sedan sibling the C43 AMG and here’s how it fared.

Exterior

Imagine a twin brother, where one was all bulky and full of big muscle and while the other one was lean, slimmer and cut a less imposing figure. Well, that is what we have with us when we compare the two cars externally. They have the same design elements and are even positioned in the same way, but they vary in terms of size. You get the same avant garde grille, sporty bumpers both in the front and rear. However, the SUV gets bigger tail lamps and higher roof silhouette as compared to the sedan. Also the rear end does look bigger in the SUV as it sits much higher, compared to the sedan.

Interior

If the cars are like twins on the outside, then the similarities are far more on the inside. The cabins of both cars have the same layout and features, but they vary in how they look. Where the GLC is covered in swathes of carbon fibre and glossy plastics, the C43 has the same parts wrapped in Alcantara which exudes a more subtle sophistry. Both cars come with red seat belts, AMG logo stitched in the head rests, embossed door sill plates, chrome pedals and of course, the AMG fonts and lettering in the instrument cluster. However, being a higher riding vehicle, you get a more commanding view of the road as well as a higher bonnet positioning for that SUV feel.

Performance        

The 43 in both cars come to the fore thanks to a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 mill producing 362bhp/520Nm of torque with power going to all four wheels via an AMG spec 9G-Tronic transmission and a rear-biased AWD system. The GLC gets an air suspension while it’s a standard setup on the C43 due it being much closer to a sports car in terms of what is on offer.

Conclusion

It’s the age old dilemma of sedan vs SUV and this one is really no different. We believe that these vehicles too will be priced quite close to each other, thus making it a case of personal choice by the buyer.