New Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 2026 review: sporty and comfortable
The new six-cylinder Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 is fast and comfortable, just don’t look at the price tag
Verdict
The new Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 proves AMG is back on the right path – this brute of an SUV has plenty more character than the brand’s recent four-cylinder cars. The straight-six engine sounds absolutely fantastic and is sure to put a smile on your face, but you can also sneak through quiet villages without alerting the neighbourhood watch. There’s a great duality between comfort and sportiness with this car. Although we’re not sure if that makes up for the occasionally annoying gearbox, the enormous price tag and the way it drinks petrol.
We all go through phrases in life, but instead of a goth era or getting really into golf, when Mercedes-AMG – the people known for making big thumping V8s that love to annihilate tyres – had a bit of identity crisis recently, it became obsessed with putting a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine into every car it could – from hot hatches to its flagship £100k+ GT.
There’s no denying the ‘M139’ engine was technically impressive and it wasn’t short on power. The problem was the mighty little motor lacked character and the ability to deliver the sort of soundtrack that AMG’s previous creations could.
Thankfully, that four-cylinder phase is now over and the brand is going back to what it does best: creating cars with big personalities that can make a lot of noise and show you a good time.
Used - available now
The new Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 marks the beginning of what will hopefully be a return to form for the performance division. The mid-size SUV is the first car it has treated to a rortier, more evocative new powerplant, along with some other upgrades.
Before anyone gets too excited, the GLC 53 doesn’t have a 6.2-litre V8 lurking behind the massive three-pointed star on its nose. But there is a 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder with a hearty 443bhp on tap plus a dash of hybrid assistance.
In effect, this is the same engine as in the CLE 53 Coupe and Convertible, but AMG’s fettling has made it more responsive and rev-hungry. It has upgraded cylinder heads with new camshafts for starters, plus a new intercooler and a bigger air intake.
Meanwhile, the electric compressor in the turbocharger is now more powerful, which not only helps reduce any feeling of lag, but also allows for better torque delivery higher in the rev range. There’s always 600Nm of torque available, and 640Nm for 10-second overboost periods. The other integrated starter-generator motor delivers a small power boost as well, and when you put all that together, the GLC 53 can do 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds.
Equally important is the new exhaust system with special resonators that’s been designed to create an AMG-worthy racket. Sure, it doesn’t have that legendary V8 bellow, but there’s no denying this six-cylinder engine sounds awesome. It has a deep, husky tone and is suitably naughty with all the crackling, popping and banging you get on downshifts.
The noise doesn’t fill the cabin; in fact, it’s a little distant, but at the same time that makes it feel more authentic, rather than an audio file that’s being pumped into the car. Although apparently a tiny amount is, we’re told.
Switch from Sport+ into Comfort mode and the GLC 53 is still a treat for the ears when you want it to be, but give your right foot a rest and the car is quiet and easy to drive, allowing you to go about your day like it’s a humble diesel.
Stopping and starting in town traffic are very smooth thanks to the hybrid system, and the engine doesn’t bark or roar into life each time you set off again. Meanwhile, as you cruise along the motorway at 70mph, the engine rumbles away quietly in the background and the car feels incredibly stable, as we can attest from a blast down Germany’s de-restricted autobahns.
The GLC 53 also features a new suspension system, because AMG wanted to create a greater spread of abilities between comfort and sportiness. Without driving the cars back to back, we can’t say for sure if this new car has improved over the old GLC 43 and GLC 63 S E Performance it replaces, but for an AMG, the ride is very comfortable, if a tad jiggly at times.
Through the long sweeping corners in the German countryside, the GLC 53 continues to feel planted and the body movement is well controlled. There’s a nice weight to the sharp and precise steering, too, and the big brakes provide plenty of stopping power when needed.
However, you can feel the car diving forward if you stomp on the brake pedal. It pitches backwards too if you suddenly floor the throttle, and the big AMG rolls more with the fast changes of direction required on tighter, twistier roads.
We were less impressed by the nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission. While it is very smooth and gearchanges are quick, if you hit the throttle when you’re cruising around in Comfort mode, there’s a second or two delay before the thing manages to get itself together, then kicks down into the right ratio. After you’re done accelerating and lift off, it then tends to hold onto gears for longer than we’d like, leaving you to listen to the slightly strained sound of the engine.
Another annoying oddity is that pulling on the paddles behind the steering wheel doesn’t activate manual gearshifts. That has to be done by using the customisable settings dial lower down on the wheel.
If you don’t do that and aren’t constantly playing with the paddles, the gearbox quickly reverts back to automatic mode, sometimes mid-way through a corner. More than once as we came out of a bend, we again found ourselves waiting for the transmission to figure out what it needed to do so we could continue.
All the grunt from the six-cylinder engine gets to the road with the help of an all-wheel drive system that is largely rear-biased, but can switch to fully rear-wheel-drive in Drift mode. Does anyone want or need that in a 2.1-tonne SUV? Absolutely not, but AMG clearly wasn’t bothered by that. It’s not a standard feature though, but comes as part of the £7,500 Pro Performance Package that also adds a Race mode, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, dynamic engine mounts and a top speed increased from 155mph to 170mph.
We dare say fuel economy isn’t the first, second or even third thing on any AMG customer’s minds. So they probably won’t be bothered that the GLC 53 can’t officially average more than 30mpg – or that we only managed 18mpg during our test drive.
The interior of the GLC 53 features an older layout and tech, which has its pros and cons. For instance, it’s refreshing to sit inside a Mercedes and not be surrounded by so many screens that it feels like a PC World – you just get a pair of 12-inch displays. We also like that all of the icons on the touchscreen are big and easy to tap while driving.
However, the infotainment system isn’t as intuitive as the set-up is in the brand’s latest models, while the steering wheel only has haptic buttons that we kept touching by accident, whereas newer cars have some physical controls. The carbon-fibre trim festooning the dashboard and centre console won’t be to everyone’s taste, either.
In terms of space, there’s a good amount in the back and a 620-litre boot in the regular SUV. That’s considerably more than the Audi SQ5’s 470 litres and the BMW X3 M50’s 570 litres.
Some eyebrows are sure to be raised by the price tag though, because the new AMG GLC 53 starts from £79,250 if you get the regular SUV, and £81,250 if you opt for the Coupe. That’s several grand more than its BMW X3 M50 and Audi SQ5 rivals. However, the limited-run Edition 53 models, with their golden accents, special graphics and Pro Performance Package fitted as standard, cost close to £95k, which is Audi RS 5 or Porsche Cayenne money.
Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.
| Model: | Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 4Matic+ AMG Premium Plus Coupe |
| Price: | £91,250 |
| Engine: | 3.0-litre 6cyl petrol MHEV |
| Power/torque: | 443bhp/600Nm |
| Transmission: | Nine-speed automatic, all-wheel drive |
| 0-62mph: | 4.2 seconds |
| Top speed: | 155mph |
| Economy: | 29.8mpg |
| CO2: | 216g/km |
| Size (L/W/H): | 5,313/1,921/1,503mm |
| On sale: | Now |
