The refreshed Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 replaces both the GLC 43 and 63.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Mercedes-AMG’s decision to swap the V8 engine for a four-cylinder in its C-Class and GLC SUV wasn’t as well received as it had hoped. It certainly seems that way because, as part of its update, the 2027 GLC ditches the four for a six-cylinder.
The new GLC 53 replaces both the GLC 43 and 63, upgrading from their turbocharged and electrified four-cylinder engines to a turbocharged inline-six. In 2025, the GLC was AMG’s best-selling vehicle.
AMG says the turbocharged inline-six used in other models, such as the larger GLE, has been heavily reworked with a new cylinder head and intake system for improved response, quicker acceleration and a more emotional soundtrack thanks to a specially designed exhaust system.
The GLC has two separate screens, including a vertical centre touchscreen instead of the end-to-end hyperscreen. There are few buttons and most tasks must be done using the screen.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The GLC has 449 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque (up to 475 with overboost).Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The engine uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid electrical system to drive an electric auxiliary compressor that creates boost before the exhaust gas-driven turbocharger can spool up to speed. This setup allows for quicker acceleration off the line and there’s less lag between gear changes, which are handled by the Mercedes nine-speed automatic.
Power sits in between the former two models at 449 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque with up to 472 lb-ft possible for 10 seconds thanks to an overboost mode. An optional valve-controlled performance exhaust fitted to our test car emitted all the guttural noises, pops and bangs one would associate with a high-performance SUV from AMG. No puny four-cylinder noises will be found here anymore.
This was the right move for AMG. Although no V8 is on offer, the inline-six is more powerful than the turbocharged four-cylinder it replaces and sounds significantly better. For something as big and heavy as the GLC, it feels like a better fit.
Acceleration has improved, with the zero to 100 kilometres an hour sprint taking 4.2 seconds – down from 4.7. Top speed reaches 270 kilometres an hour if equipped with the special driver’s package, though that’s irrelevant in Canada. Even in Germany, rush hour traffic quashed any chance to verify that claim.
I enjoyed driving the new GLC 53 on the smooth roads around Hamburg, but fear the rubber-band-like sidewalls of the 21-inch wheels on my tester wouldn’t fare too well on the rougher roads in many parts of Canada. AMG has tuned the adaptive suspension for a greater spread between long distance comfort and sporty handling characteristics, accessible through a dizzying array of drive mode settings that run the gamut from Comfort to Race.
It’s cool for nerds who like to tweak every setting, but for the moms and dads who are using it to go to work and take their kids to soccer practice, it seems a bit much. Ditto for the new Drift mode. Part of an available driver’s package and a first on the GLC, it uses a new electronic locking rear differential and variable all-wheel-drive to make sliding around easier. Hopefully on a racetrack and not on the way to school.
The front seats on the refreshed 2027 Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 with yellow accents and stitching. They are heated but not ventilated.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
For 2027, the GLC adds two cylinders with a three-litre turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid electrical system.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
You can get the GLC 53 in either a regular or coupe body style. The latter trades some rear seat headroom for a more graceful roofline, but both perform the same. That is to say, quite admirably – tackling corners with more grace than a 2.5-ton SUV should, and always emitting a baritone rumble that was sorely missing from the previous version. The tester I was driving had a matte black paint option that makes the GLC 53 look like Batman’s daily driver, and its interior was covered in acres of carbon fibre trim.
The rest of the package hasn’t changed much and is starting to show its age. This is especially apparent because an all-electric GLC on a new platform has already been released, which I drove just days before testing this model.
The 2027 GLC 400 is a 483-horsepower, dual-motor electric vehicle built on a new 800-volt architecture. It promises charging speeds of up to 330 kilowatts and a range of 640 kilometres (Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicle Test Procedure), numbers that are similar to the new BMW iX3.
The 2027 GLC 400 is a 483-horsepower, dual-motor EV.Kunal D'souz/The Globe and Mail
Inside, there’s a new MBUX Superscreen that stretches across the dashboard, using a new AI assistant and the automaker’s latest operating system.
The new electric GLC 400 is a direct play against the iX3, and it makes the AMG GLC, which is still based on an older platform, feel outdated.
For the GLC 53, the new engine is a welcome addition to this sporty SUV, but the updates feel like an attempt to correct past mistakes.
The 2027 AMG GLC 53 will be sold alongside the new electric GLC, with both models scheduled to arrive in dealerships later this year.
The coupe body style trades some rear seat headroom for a more tapered roofline.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Tech Specs
2027 Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 4MATIC
- Price: To be announced
- Engine: Three-litre turbocharged inline-six with a 48-volt mild hybrid
- Horsepower/torque: (lb-ft) 449/443 (up to 475 with overboost)
- Transmission/drive: Nine-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption: To be announced
- Alternatives: BMW X3 M40i, Volvo XC60 Polestar, Porsche Macan GTS, Audi SQ5
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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