In production since the middle of the last decade, GLC is the SUV equivalent of a C-Class. It succeeded the now-discontinued GLK and slotted between the smaller GLA and bigger GLE SUVs. With the second generation, it now sits between the 3-row GLB and GLE. The previous generation GLC was Mercedes’ global bestseller for two years in a row before signing off. In India, too, the GLC was the brand's best-selling model till it went out of circulation towards the end of last year.
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Compared to its predecessor model, the second-generation GLC is narrower and shorter in overall height. However, the wheelbase has gone up by around 15mm to 2888mm, and as a consequence, the overall length is now 4716mm, around 60mm more than the first-gen model. To put it in some perspective – the GLC is now as long as, say, a Tata Safari!
The wheelbase is up, so is the overall length. Ground clearance up by 20mm
The car sits on 19-inch wheels, and the ground clearance of the India-spec car is up by 20mm than the standard model courtesy of an off-road engineering package. This is a standard feature on our GLC. The increased length has also helped improve boot space by around 70 litres.
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The design has changed significantly. It is more flowing and road-hugging than upright. The body looks, and is, more aerodynamic. Mercedes-Benz says the coefficient of drag number, which signifies how easily a car cuts through the air, is down from 0.31 to 0.29. Changes to the face include a larger grille with a large three-pointed star at the centre placed on a horizontal chrome slat. New LED headlamps now fuse into the radiator grille.
The new GLC has a more prominent grille. Headlights fuse into the grille
There are chrome underguards for the bumper to hint at the GLC’s stealth ability off-road. The roof railing is in polished aluminium, and standard running boards are complemented by new moulded edges on the side. At the rear, there are 3D wraparound taillamps.
At launch, the new GLC will be available with two engine options – petrol and diesel. For the first drive, we got the GLC 300 4MATIC which is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit. This makes 255bhp and 400Nm and can take the car from 0-100kph in 6.2s. The diesel is a 220d spec, which is also a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder unit. This makes 195bhp and 440Nm of torque and can do the dash to 100kph from a standstill in a reasonable 8 seconds. The petrol is a new unit and debuts in the new GLC. Both engines get an Integrated Starter Generator, which offers an additional 23bhp and 200Nm of boost when needed.
Two engine options – 2.0-litre, petrol and diesel mild-hybrids mated to 9-speed automatic gearbox
Mercedes-Benz claims the petrol engine is 15% more efficient than its predecessor with a claimed figure of 14.72kpl (the onboard computer showed around 11kpl during the drive). The diesel efficiency is pegged at 19.47kpl (we reckon around 14-15kpl in the real world), which is 10% better than the earlier diesel GLC. Both engines get a 9-speed torque-converter type of automatic transmission, which is more suitable for an SUV and even our Indian conditions.
The GLC is a pleasantly quiet vehicle inside with low rolling and wind noise. On the move, it has a commanding and reassuring stance. It’s not in a hurry to build speed. Give it the stick, and the engine doesn’t complain much. It gamely releases the horses from the stable without much of a fuss.
Petrol engine is all new with 60bhp more than previous generation. Diesel offers a claimed 19.47kpl
The steering weighs well. There is a sense of calmness here, too, in the way it turns and makes the GLC follow its orders. It isn’t the go-kart kind. Instead, it likes to be nudged gently. It isn’t as communicative as a Porsche Macan or even a BMW X3 but gets the job done of manoeuvring the sizeable SUV with ease. Those at the rear will experience body roll during sudden lane changes, but not enough to bother the driver’s confidence. In a straight line, it feels unfazed by the road surfaces or crosswinds, be it while coasting, accelerating or, more importantly, even while braking. The tyres offer a good grip to allow you to push around corners more. The standard all-wheel-drive system helps too.
Reasonably capable off-road, just like its predecessor. Gets all-wheel-drive.
The ride is supple. It’s less firmer than a GLE’s but not too soft to keep rocking like a boat. The slightly smaller size helps. Just like the previous GLC, this one, too, manages to keep occupants in utmost safety.
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Dashboard similar to the new C-Class. Horizontally split dash with a floating touchscreen
Not surprisingly, there is a lot of new C-Class happening here. Gets a familiar two-level dashboard, complete with vertical stripes. The fascia is dominated by the 11.9-inch floating touchscreen, the same as its sedan sibling. The instrument cluster gets a large floating screen too. More importantly, it is the latest generation of the MBUX infotainment system. It can connect to a smart home system and integrate music streaming providers. There is an optional 15-speaker Burmester surround sound system that really ups the audio performance, whichever seat you are on.
Three interior and five exterior colours to choose from although not all can be mixed and matched
As the GLC has grown longer, it now offers a roomier cabin. Still best for four too. The seats are well bolstered and firm with adequate lower back and under-thigh support. I would have preferred a slightly more recline at the rear. Unfortunately, there is no option to adjust the backrest there. Legroom is quite impressive, and so is headroom. Hip and shoulder room at the rear is still not ideal for three abreast. There are three interior and five exterior colour options, but not all can be mixed and matched. Air conditioning, which is usually a bane for most German car makers, seemed adequate during our test run. Internationally, GLC also comes with optional front massage seats, but that’s not on offer here. Instead, we get more real-world practical feature such as a powered tailgate.
The previous generation GLC was quite capable, too and this one even more because what Mercedes Benz has done is given it the Off-Road Package that is optional internationally. But on the Indian GLC, it will come as standard. This also means that this GLC has more ground clearance than the previous generation model. And it is quite capable; even at a slow speed, it is able to crawl pretty easily. To help matters it also has the Transparent Bonnet Feature, which is standard with this car in India.
The transparent bonnet feature is a cool party trick up its sleeve. This feature cleverly uses an onboard camera to stitch an image of the ground underneath the bonnet in the 360-degree view making it even easier for the driver. Not an all-new feature, though as some rivals such as Land Rover and Lexus offer this feature too.
New features at the rear include a powered tailgate. Also, note the 3D lights
While prices were yet to be announced at the time of publishing this, sources indicate the new GLC to retail at an ex-showroom price of under Rs 75 lakh. That’s a 10-15% rise over the previous generation’s starting price. The mid-sized luxury SUV space is a big, hence, busy segment with rivals from practically every other luxury brand. The GLC fits somewhere in the middle of this segment. In its new avatar, the GLC ticks more right boxes than it previously did, which can only be a good thing. It may not be the most fun SUV to drive out there, but it is the most capable SUV that can switch easily between driving and being driven in.
Length: 4716mm
Width: 1890mm
Height: 1640mm
Fuel tank: 62 litres
Kerb weight: 1945kg (petrol)/ 2014kg (diesel)
Tyre size: 235/55 R19
