You know what Mercedes and BMW have that most of their rivals don’t? Legendary up-fitting divisions with labels that matter. You can pretend to be a Louis Vuitton, but the cognoscenti want the real label, not the faux. In that vein, Mercedes and BMW (and to a lesser extent, Audi) all mint cash by selling AMG, M, and S/RS versions of their cars. Yet another exhibit of such a practice is this latest AMG offering from the three-pointed-star purveyors.
The 2027 Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 4MATIC+ slots in above the (I’m guessing) soon-to-be axed GLC 43 4MATIC. That extant 2026 model gets a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a mild hybrid arrangement. The incoming GLC 53 gets the more powerful in-line six from the larger AMG GLEs. And there are a few reasons why Mercedes has to go this route, with bigger sixes vs. hybridized fours for its top-shelf AMGs, that I’ll dig into below.
But first, what the heck is Mercedes up to, broadly?
First, just sticking to their crossover strategy, Mercedes’ M.O. is much the same as every other brand. They offer the GLC and GLE as compact and mid-size crossovers, and you can have a “coupe” version of either with a more sloped back roof. See practically every peer for the same copy-paste formula.
The bigger picture, however, is that Mercedes’ EQ strategy as well as going with blown fours in their AMG cars stung their customer satisfaction ratings at the high end. The under-delivery of stalwart Mercedes-ness has them in catch-up mode on the AMG side, while rebooting with better EVs in the form of the CLA and GLB. This latest move to in-line sixes for AMG vs. their 2.0-liter four is part of a broader game plan.
Getting In-Line
The latest update to the 3.0-liter six-cylinder bumps out more muscle, especially in the form of torque. You’re jumping from 429 horsepower in the GLE 53 to 443 hp in the smaller, and probably still lighter weight GLC 53. The bigger bump comes in both base and overboost torque. That’s a leap from 413 ft lb in the prior version of this engine to 443 ft lb. But for maximum shove, there’s a 10-second overboost mode when you’ll get up to 472 ft lb. That’s a 15 percent increase in torque, and almost surely makes the GLC 53 capable of sub-4-second 0-60 times.
An AMG GLC 43 Coupe will currently set you back $67,500. The AMG GLC 63 S sits at $87,500. Whether those two models still exist with four-cylinder engines for 2027 remains an open question.
In case you’re wondering, the 2.0-liter four in the GLC 43 is no slouch. Its 416-hp of combined gas-electric mojo is pretty robust, but that combo doesn’t get to that much higher torque figure of the in-line six. Oh, well, actually, that’s a lie. If you’re willing to pay $135,000, you can have the GLC 63 S, which adds more electric augmentation to the small four-cylinder, for a massive 752 ft lb.
Going Backwards to Go Forwards, Faster
So, wait: If the hybrid fours can produce so much power and torque, why ditch that recipe? Well, first, who’s to say it won’t be deployed elsewhere? Second, at the extreme end, the kind of hybrid in the GLC 63 S hardly delivers amazing fuel sipping. Also, you have to remember that at the top end, Mercedes still makes V-8s. Ideally, they could make fewer of these, and move to a strategy of fewer engines across a broader mix of vehicles.
Then there’s the sticky mess of a finicky AMG customer who wants panache. Those small fours just don’t sound like the wretched excess of an AMG V-8. However if you get that buyer to open their ears to the purr of the smooth in-line six you’ll have them signing over their wallets.
And that’s the ideal route for Mercedes to reduce its parts complexity, make fewer V-8s, and hybridize everything else. That also allows them to slowly meet ever stricter global emissions standards. Never mind the U.S.: the future is electrified.
Drift Mode
Coming back to the Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 4MATIC+, this will be the first AMG non-sedan to get drift mode.
Mercedes has equipped prior sedans and wagons with the feature, and unlike a lot of systems that try to overcomplicate what “drift” means, at least in other species of AMGs, drift mode just disables all traction and stability control and sends all the muscle to the rear axle. If that’s the equation here, then the fact that you can get to maximum torque at only 2,200 RPM should enable rotating the GLC 53 with small steering inputs and a heavy right foot. Add in rear-wheel steering, which tightens the turning circle at slow speeds, and all you need is a closed course (always heed the lawyers!) to rip thousands of miles of life off your GLC 53’s tires in mere minutes.
The Catch
Remember how this story started, with Mercedes making bank from its AMG line? Well, naturally if you want drift mode, you have to pay extra (no, they haven’t said how much more) for the AMG DYNAMIC PLUS Package. This includes a limited-slip differential, the better to achieve maximum acceleration from a standing start, though the Benz peeps say it also improves high-speed stability.
How Much?
An AMG GLC 43 Coupe will currently set you back $67,500. The AMG GLC 63 S sits at $87,500. Whether those two models still exist with four-cylinder engines for 2027 remains an open question. Maybe the GLC 43 does, and the GLC 63 S moves to the in-line six with yet more mustard?
Either way, when it goes on sale later this year, it’s a very safe bet that the GLC 53 costs at least $75,000. No, that’s not cheap. But Mercedes will argue, their AMG label is worth every penny. And, historically, buyers have been happy to pay. This is why Toyota will invest millions to offer at least some Lexuses with handling and power to match BMW and Benz. It’s also why Genesis needs Magma.
No, most customers won’t go drifting in their AMG. Does the average Defender buyer even know how to lock their rig’s differentials? Nope. And that’s not the point. Selling performance is like selling Botox. People just have to believe they look better with it than without it.
