Medium Mercedes family wagon gets sporty bits.

SPECIAL edition time has come to a Mercedes Benz sports utility popular with Kiwis, the type loading up on aesthetic tweaks for a saving.

The catch with the Edition R version of the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 is that it’s a limited edition.

Benz won’t say how many examples are in country, but it’s a consignment shared with Australia which is understood to have most of them.

Availability spans the same sports utility wagon and coupe SUV stylings as have been available here for almost three years.

At $146,500 and $152,600, the Edition Rs are respectively $5400 and $5390 less than the standard models’ launch pricing.

Edition R models ride on 21-inch AMG light-alloy wheels finished in matte black, behind which sit red brake calipers.

Edition R interior treatment delivers a Performance Seat Package Advanced which brings heated, power adjust front seats upholstered in Artico leatherette and Microcut microfibre, finished in black with red stitching and matched with red seatbelts. The steering wheel has Microcut and Nappa leather. There’s also an exclusive to type “distinctive metal structure” trim.

As with the standard GLC 43, equipment includes a panoramic sunroof, Burmester 3D surround sound system, 11.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless charging, a head up display, sat nav, dual climate control, surround-view camera and ambient lighting.

The 2.0-litre powertrain is as per the standard car, so has 310kW and 500Nm distributing via a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The turbocharged four cylinder is mated with a 48V mild-hybrid system that can provide up to 10kW and 150Nm in short bursts. Zero to 100kmh in 4.8 seconds is cited.