This new Mercedes might look like a frog, but it drives like a sports car

For those who want the performance and handling characteristics of a mid-size coupe with the body of a crossover (mostly), Mercedes has a sporty new vehicle for you: the 2017 GLC43 Coupe.

Think of it as the GLC SUV with a shorter roof. No, scratch that. Don't think of it that way, because that's exactly what it is.

Underneath the hood is a 362-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 engine that has been tweaked by Mercedes' in-house performance arm AMG. And that AMG-tuned engine is mated to an also-AMG-tuned 9G-tronic automatic transmission. From there, power is routed to all four wheels through — you guessed it — an AMG-enhanced 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

Notably, the 4MATIC system has a rear bias. That means it sends more of the torque to the rear wheels, which further emphasizes the vehicle's sport-y driving dynamics.

IMAGE: MERCEDES-BENZ

As a result of all its AMG-ness, the GLC43 Coupe can do a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 4.8 seconds on the way to its electronically limited 130-mph top speed.

Along with a shorter, swooping roof, the GLC43 Coupe includes a sport-tuned version of Mercedes' AIR BODY CONTROL air suspension system (I'm not yelling, that's Mercedes name for it).

Also sport-tuned is the interior, which features black and red contrast stitching, a flat-bottom steering wheel and a dashboard caked in both carbon fiber and longitudinal-grain aluminum trim. And, let us not forget the optional tablet-like 8.4-inch COMAND infotainment color display mounted on the center of that dash.

IMAGE: MERCEDES-BENZ

When cars like this — the crossover with a coupe roofline — first hit the market a few years ago, I wondered if folks in the future would look back on these designs and wonder just what the heck we were thinking.

Having now driven some, including the GLC43 Coupe's bigger brother, the GLE63 Coupe, I finally see the appeal — at least from a driving stand point. I still think they look like frogs, but now I see the attraction to a car that both drives like a sports car and can also haul three kids and a labrador.

The GLC43 Coupe will be unveiled in the flesh on Sept. 28 at the Paris Motor Show. It will then be heading to U.S. showrooms in the first quarter of 2017. However, Mercedes hasn't decided how much it will cost when it arrives on American soil.