Mercedes-AMG GLC43 4Matic is here

You good at spotting trends? The latest craze sweeping Affalterbach is to turbocharge a whole new breed of halfway-house Mercedes AMG GLC43 models - and the latest is the new GLC 43, due at the 2016 New York motor show and in showrooms by June 2016.

The new '43' badge is spreading like wildfire across Merc's mid-sized range; we've already seen the C43 Coupe and E43, and now the stop-gap AMG product genes have been injected into the GLC SUV.

So how fast is this 'halfway-house' AMG GLC?

Mind your alphabet soup now... the numerals denote that this isn't as deranged as the full-fat 63 models, with their bi-turbo 4.0-litre V8s and supercar-slaying prowess. 

Instead, the 43 models use Daimler's latest 3.0-litre V6, twin-turbocharged to produce a not-inconsiderable 362bhp with some clever F1-derived trickery including low-friction 'Nanoslide' cylinder liners. The results are pretty startling:

Engine 2996cc V6 bi-turbo

Power 362bhp @ 5500rpm

Torque 384lb ft @ 2500-4500rpm

0-62mph 4.9sec

Top speed 155mph (limited)

Kerbweight 1845kg

CO2 emissions 189g/km

Yes, that trend started by BMW (X5 4.8iS) - or Lamborghini (LM002) depending on your point of view - has spawned a whole generation of go-faster 4x4s, and the market shows no sign of slowing up any time soon.

Will the GLC 43 handle as well as charge?

The burghers of AMG promise so. The 4MATIC all-wheel drive system is rear-biased (by an impressive 69%, as standard!) and the air suspension set-up is tuned to deliver a flatter, more purposeful poise geared for enthusiasts of corner-carving rather than pampering.

Both the speed-sensitive power steering, tuned by AMG, and the elastokinematics of the suspension are altered to cope with the loftier forces on tap. Chunky 360mm front vented discs are fitted to decelerate nearly 1.9 tonnes of express metal, which is a relief.

Inside the new GLC 43 4 MATIC

It's the usual AMG fare inside the 43's cabin: sturdy sports seats, a smattering of leather and carbonfibre, red seatbelts and stitching borrowed from Deutschland 83 plus a fat-rimmed steering wheel to grip on to as you launch Fido and the kids towards the horizon at Porsche-slaying pace...