The GLC marks Merc’s entry into this tough segment, currently dominated by the like of the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Land Rover Discovery Sport.
We drove it a few months ago in France and we know for a fact that it’s going to turn this segment on its head. It sets a new standard in terms of overall quality and it’s surprisingly good off-road as well.
The interior is magnificent. The materials are right up there with anything else in the Mercedes range and the ride is so well sorted. Specify it with the optional Off-road Engineering package and it will be all the SUV you’ll likely ever need. It doesn’t have low-range like the bigger GLE, but the electronic nannies are more than good enough to help you on your way.
In standard specification it’s a handsome vehicle that’s equipped with all the luxuries you need, like a multifunction display, leather everything and all the usual suspects like electric windows and an infotainment system with every possible connection out there. The AMG-Line and Exclusive package are offered to make the GLC stand out from the crowd, but they do come at a price.
Two petrol engines are available, namely the 250 4Matic and 300 4Matic. The 250 petrol delivers a healthy 155kW and 350Nm of torque, while the 300 pushes the power all the way to 180kW.
We wouldn’t bother, however, because the diesel range is far more appealing. The 220d 4Matic in-line four offers up 125kW and 400Nm of torque and in 250d 4Matic tune these figures escalate to 150kW and 500Nm of torque. That’s enough to sprint to 100km/h in around eight seconds, while still using roughly 5,5l/100km. An AMG model hasn’t been confirmed yet, but we know Mercedes is working on it.
All engines are mated to Merc’s new slick-shifting nine-speed automatic gearbox, which goes about its business in an unobtrusive manner.
We hope to bring you local driving impressions of both the new GLE and GLC in upcoming editions, but for the time being we’ll simply state that both are worth a look if you’re currently in the market.
Pricing:
GLC 220 d R 599 900
GLC 250 d R 619 900
GLC 250 R 604 900
GLC 300 R 654 900