INTERIOR
Mercedes has in recent years prioritised visual impact over deep-seated material quality and fit and finish. It’s fair to say this approach has been applied to the new GLC.
The transmission tunnel flows seamlessly into the 11.9in infotainment touchscreen to breathtaking effect and the ambience-lifting ‘anthracite linestructure lime wood’ finish of our test car’s cascading dashboard is lifted from the current S-Class. As, for that matter, is the steering wheel, whose slimmed multifunction spokes represent a vast improvement over the old car’s chunky interfaces.
The driving environment is less cluttered with switchgear and more premium in feel than before, while hefty window sills and a comparatively high beltline give the GLC a feeling of protectiveness that those shopping in this class want. That said, the driving position is still decidedly car-like, the GLC never feeling intimidating.
So the GLC probably has more ‘wow’ factor than any rivals. But equally, perceived quality is behind what you would find in the comparative BMW, Lexus or Audi. The problems here aren’t scratchy plastics or substantial panel gaps: the GLC isn’t that bad. It’s more that various surfaces flex more than they should; it’s in the imprecision of controls like those for the mirrors or those on the multifunction steering wheel, where different commands are grouped under the same plastic panel; and it’s in the unconvincing ‘metal structure’ finish found on the door cards and the high-set air vents. All this undermines the visuals a touch.
In practical terms, the GLC wants for little. Occupant space is very good, front and rear, though anyone in the middle berth in the back will have to compete with a pronounced transmission tunnel. The car’s longer rear overhang also results in 70 litres more boot space than before, with a total of 620 litres bettering that offered by the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.
Multimedia system
The MBUX system inside the GLC is the same that was introduced in the current S-Class and feels commensurately plush, with deep colours and crisp graphics. It must be said, however, that the reclined nature of the 11.9in touchscreen display does mean that fingerprints catch the light to less than desirable effect. And because there is now no click wheel or such, your only other option to input commands is via the steering wheel controls, which isn’t especially intuitive. There’s a considerable degree of swiping involved, much of the time.
The central display does at least present you with clear climate controls that don’t require any digging through sub-menus to access. The smartphone integration is also good, and the positioning of the display keeps it in arm’s reach, which isn’t always the case with dash displays.
ENGINES & PERFORMANCE
The 300 pairs a mild-hybrid, 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with Mercedes’ nine-speed 9G-Tronic torque-converter automatic. Mild hybridisation owes to the fact that for this generation of GLC, in non-PHEV models the engine’s alternator is replaced by an integrated starter-generator unit, which can provide a boost of up to 23bhp at low engine speeds. Most of the car’s combined 255bhp and 295lb ft flows to the back axle, but longitudinally engined Mercedes fitted with 4Matic also permanently engage their front axles, in this case with 45% of available torque.
The 300’s performance is far from what you would call exciting, but neither does this car feel in any way slow. A 0-60mph time of 6.5sec and the 6.0sec needed to cover 30-70mph through the gears are all that’s needed from an unobtrusive, premium family SUV, and this Mercedes motor delivers its efforts methodically, with peak torque coming on stream from just 2000rpm. Impatient owners who feel the need to overtake often, and with passengers and luggage aboard, may want to consider the GLC 43 when it arrives, but for most people a car that will crack 60mph in exactly the same time as what we recorded for the Volkswagen Mk7 Golf GTI back in 2013 will probably suffice. That the big Mercedes needs only 20cm more to stop from 70mph than its compatriot hot hatch deserves credit too.
This gearbox is also perfectly able and for the most part shifts with slick precision. It can occasionally hiccup from first to second, and nine close-spaced ratios do sometimes seem to lack a clinical kickdown strategy, but it mostly goes unnoticed, which is as you would want it. Our only other criticism is that, under load, this is not the most quiet motor. It doesn’t sound unpleasant, but it’s hardly memorable and isn’t as well isolated as units from BMW or Audi.
Much of this experience translates to the 300de diesel PHEV, although there’s the added novelty of some EV action. The 134bhp electric motor provides just enough urge to keep up with the flow of traffic and will keep going all the way to 87mph, meaning in most daily driving engagements you will rarely bother the 2.0-litre oil-burner.
When the 195bhp four does fire into life, it serves up impressive mid-range muscle and strong refinement, provided you avoid visits to the redline, where it becomes rather strident – although if your ears can stand it, the result is a hot hatch-baiting and electricallty assisted 0-62mph time of 6.4sec.
Overall, the integration of the internal combustion and electric power is seamless too. Only when you ask for maximum acceleration in a hurry does the GLC become a little discombobulated, the nine-speed automatic gearbox, diesel engine and synchronous motor jerkily tripping over each other as the electronics struggle to decide who goes first.
RIDE & HANDLING
Because it is based on an adapted C-Class platform, you would expect the GLC to possess an underlying feeling of poise and pedigree. Nobody is expecting Porsche Macan levels of engagement here, but maturity and an easy-going composure are must-haves for this particular brand, at this price point.
As it happens, the GLC does have an underlying handling flair, but on the road its priorities are more prosaic, if no less worthy. This SUV changes direction with the neat, controlled surety of a traditional saloon, and the fact that the driving position is relatively low plays into the GLC’s notably car-like handling. Yes, in terms of feel and feedback the steering cuts a slightly disinterested figure, but it’s accurate, well geared and mostly intuitive. The motion itself seems to possess a certain thinness and it must be said that the helm of a BMW X3 is considerably more rich in its action and feel, but such concerns are unlikely to trouble the majority of owners.
My ideal spec of GLC would be one we won’t be getting in the UK: a 400d on 19in wheels, possibly with the Siena brown and black interior. Such a car would be on the expensive side but it could also potentially be truly magnificent daily company.
Richard Lane
Deputy road test editor
Push on and the 300 does begin to feel discernibly natively rear-driven, but by and large it handles with rock-steady neutrality. This allows it to cover ground very effectively and easily indeed. Note also that, in the UK, all models apart from the 300e PHEV ride on Mercedes’ ‘Sport’ springs, which engender plenty of composure and help the GLC to consistently get the available power down. While it breaks no ground in dynamic terms, this is a suitably quick SUV that prizes security, which is just what’s required.
Comfort & Isolation
When the original GLC arrived in 2016, we criticised its AMG Line suspension for its brittleness on poorer surfaces. Seven years later, we have similar complaints – albeit lesser in severity. While the new GLC has a fine primary gait, the steel coils of its AMG Line suspension (which are undoubtedly not helped by our test car’s 20in wheels) still struggle to isolate you on rougher roads and some unwelcome sensations travel up the steering column.
This brittleness seems to be a classic case of setting a car up for German roads, with little thought to how it might fare in the UK. None of this is massively pronounced, but it is noticeable, so while Mercedes should be leading the field when it comes to refinement, in this case the product is mostly fine but isn’t notably, if at all, superior to the BMW X3 et al. Tellingly, a C-Class on 19in wheels out-rides a GLC on 20in wheels in almost all cases. Plug-in cars fitted with air springs on the rear axle feature a little more compliance over well surfaced but undulating Tarmac, but not enough to recommend one set-up over the other.
In terms of outright isolation, the GLC isn’t perhaps quite as strong as you might expect from Mercedes, either. The engine is docile at idle, but at a 70mph cruise, the 300 (69dBA) couldn’t beat even the BMW X1 xDrive23i (67dBA) – on M Sport suspension, no less – that we tested earlier this year. The diesel engine in the 300de is equally refined in normal use, only making itself a nuisance when vocally extended at high revs. Happily, with so much mid-range torque there’s very little reason to work the 2.0-litre unit hard.
MPG & RUNNING COSTS
Unsurprisingly, a new generation has brought with it price rises. Where the outgoing GLC could be had for less than £45,000 in entry-level 220d form, the equivalent model now costs a shade under £53,000. Of course, the mild-hybridisation of the powertrain hasn’t come cost-free to Mercedes, and component costs have risen across the board. But this is a more expensive car than ever, and costs more to buy outright than alternatives from BMW, Audi and Lexus, so owners will feel inclined to expect improvements in certain areas.
One of those areas is standard equipment, and the GLC is generously kitted out across the board, though to get the panoramic roof that really lifts the cabin atmosphere, or the 13-speaker Burmester sound system, you need the top-rung AMG Line Premium Plus. In terms of the digital array, the only reasons to go higher than base trim are if you want a head-up display and augmented reality for the navigation.
Consider the entry-level, AMG Line model. It will be the best-riding car in the line-up and comes well equipped, with the full MBUX infotainment array. It’s just a shame you can’t option one of the more colourful interiors with it.
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester
In terms of efficiency, our 300 test car returned a touring economy of 41.2mpg, which with the 62-litre tank translates to a range of 561 miles. Judicious use of the throttle, combined with the gentle 23bhp boost from the mild-hybrid system, would allow you to see the mid- to high-30s in everyday driving.
For the ultimate in on-paper efficiency, the 300de takes some beating. Thanks to its frugal diesel engine and near 80 miles of EV range, the plug-in promises a mind-bending 565mpg at the pumps. Of course, you will struggle to get anywhere near that in real world use, unless you frequently use the electric motor for most of your driving, in which case an EV might be a better bet.
In the case of the 300, this has boosted combined fuel economy by around 15%, with benefits that also translate into real-world driving. Then there’s the potential tax savings of the PHEV models, which make a decent fist of combining internal combustion and electricity, plus pack impressive EV ranges.
It’s in the fundamental matters of outright ride quality and dynamic character that the GLC fails to put on a memorable show. As its best-seller, for Mercedes this car presents a chance to really blow the competition away in terms of refinement and underline its core brand value, yet the GLC’s road manners aren’t free of flaws. Neither does the car’s dynamic persona impart much sense of mechanical integrity.
It remains broadly desirable enough to sell well and is more practical than ever but doesn’t sparkle.
