It wouldn’t be a stretch to call the GLC the most important car for Mercedes-Benz. Here are a few numbers demonstrating the point. Since its global launch in 2015, the GLC has gone on to sell 2.6 million units worldwide. In India, where it arrived in 2016, the GLC has sold 13,000 units till date, making it one of the biggest volume sellers for Merc, right up there with the perennially popular E-Class. Last year, the GLC became Merc’s largest-selling model, globally, with 3,42,000 models sold.
Mercedes-Benz itself could not have predicted the meteoric rise of the GLC. A car that is, for the uninitiated, a C-Class on stilts. And with rugged derivatives of the C-Class already in existence, for the GLC to find such unanimous popularity across markets with wildly different preferences meant Mercedes-Benz knew it was on to something special. Which makes engineering the next-gen GLC a daunting task. On one hand you don’t want to tamper with a winning formula, but on the other hand, it needs to differentiate itself from its predecessor just enough to qualify as an all-new product.
The new, second-generation GLC is all that and more. In profile, it is unmistakably a GLC – sufficiently high off the ground and yet sporty and sleek in profile. Its silhouette is that of a high-riding estate, not an SUV, which is a win in terms of design. It’s also something that has lent the GLC greater dynamism than its peers. Something that has, undoubtedly, broadened its appeal.
In terms of design, the LED headlamps are now a bit sleeker, tapering towards a redesigned grille featuring a single bar running across its breadth with the three-pointed star prominently placed in the middle. The grille itself is bordered by chrome, as is the redesigned air dam. The car is now longer by 60mm, with 15mm adding length to the wheelbase while the rest go into enhancing boot space. This means greater legroom for the rear passenger and a class leading boot space of 620 litres. New 19-inch, 5-spoke alloys come as standard equipment elevating the visual profile of the GLC along with a massive rear chrome under guard.
Major Tech Upgrade
The interiors are now identical to the new C-Class that was launched last year. This means there’s a new 11.9-inch, vertically mounted central touchscreen featuring Merc’s all-new MBUX system. And it is the absolute business. A biometric authentication system allows you to automatically log into your Mercedes-Benz profile, should you have one. Once set-up, the same profile will allow other Mercs to calibrate driving position, seat height according to your own preferences. This is the first SUV in Mercedes-Benz India’s line-up to get the latest NTG7 telematics update and, as a result, it features natural voice recognition and OTA updates.
The resolution is ultra-crisp and high definition with a few key upgrades to the 360-degree camera that can now automatically change orientation depending on your environment. For instance, if you’re passing a narrow bend, the camera automatically switches to top-down view, and, once the road ahead is clear, it reverts to landscape orientation. The new 360-degree camera offers such exceptional visibility on that iPad-size screen that you seldom have to check your rear-view mirrors. Keeping things sufficiently opulent is a 15-speaker Burmester sound system. The panoramic sunroof can now be opened with a gentle swipe of a finger, relieving consumers of the laborious task of pressing a button instead. If there’s one niggle, it’s the pinstripe treatment meted out to the dashboard’s midriff, which, at the price point of a GLC, could use soft-touch materials.
Given that it’s the same system as the C-Class’s, it goes without saying that basic ADAS functions like Automatic Emergency Braking, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Assist and Park Assist come with the GLC. The AEB function however, is best left turned off, as it’s a bit too enthusiastic in detecting obstructions and coming to a grinding halt. Especially given how quick this car is. Which brings us to…
The Performance
I don’t quite recall the previous-generation GLC being a scorcher, but the new one is noticeably more aggressive. The GLC comes with two powertrains, both of which remain largely unchanged. There’s the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol producing 258hp of power and 400 Nm of torque and a 2.0-litre diesel producing 197 hp of power and 440 Nm of torque. Both powertrains now get a 48V integrated starter generator, providing 23hp of additional power and up to 200 Nm of additional torque. This is only provided under flat-out acceleration, with the turbo offering maximum boost. The feature has been added across all new Mercs, predominantly as a fuel saving measure and Merc claims the GLC’s own efficiency is up by 15 percent. It also qualifies all its cars as hybrids.
For the purpose of this test, where I drove the GLC 300 petrol, it was being used exclusively to aid the acceleration. And boy, does it do a fine job! Acceleration is crisp and near-instantaneous, with the four-pot motor revving cleanly up to 5-6000 rpm before power tapers off. There’s a nice, rorty note to the engine, accompanied by a linear build-up of speed that’s made more seamless thanks to the 9-speed automatic gearbox. Mercedes-Benz has, thankfully, chosen to drop the wheezy 1.3-litre petrol from the C-Class, and the GLC is an infinitely better machine for it. Switching to paddle shifters offers a more engaging driving experience, as always, but it’s how dynamic the GLC feels around corners that’s truly remarkable. This does come at the cost of a slightly stiffer ride, something that’s palpable over sharp bumps. But on the whole the GLC manages its on and off-roading characteristics with class-leading poise.
Going off-road
Another crucial addition to the GLC is a new “Off-Road” mode. A single tap on the touchscreen allows you to activate this function, increasing the ground clearance of 201mm by an additional 20mm. Alongside this, the MBUX system activates what is called an “Invisible Bonnet” function, which allows for more accurate wheel articulation as it shows you what is happening under the bonnet and between the front two wheels in real time. Thus far, it’s a feature that’s existed primarily in top-end luxury SUVs.
It’s something you expect to find in the GLE, for instance. For the GLC – which has globally been considered a soft-roader – to be able to waft over muddy boulders and crests the way it did during our test, truly beggars belief. Where the Toyota Innova tracking car bottomed out repeatedly, the GLC wafted over with considerable ease. The “Invisible Bonnet” function is only for really tricky terrain and cuts off after the car crosses the 8 kph speed barrier. After that you’re treated to a special “Off-road” screen where your coordinates are on display, as is the topographical alignment of the GLC.
In conclusion
Global hits like the GLC leave very little margin for error. And it’s clear that the new one has managed to once again avoid erring in a major way. Its robust engine, form-defying off-roading abilities and benchmark setting multimedia capabilities allow it to surge ahead of the competition, at least until each competitor offers a suitable rebuttal. Till then, the GLC is unlikely to be dethroned from being the segment leader.
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