First drive: Mercedes-Benz GLC 300

The GLC has been the Mercedes-Benz’s best-selling model in New Zealand for three years running, holding court despite the arrival of a barrage of new models like the C-Class, the updated GLA, and numerous EQ-badged electric nameplates. And the GLC’s stay at the top is likely to continue, with the local arrival of the 2023 update.

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It seems the perfect recipe for an SUV’s mid-life update is to make them longer, wider, and shorter, with a hint of electrification splashed in to taste. This is the familiar path Mercedes-Benz has taken with the GLC. It’s grown in every dimension relative to its predecessor except for height, where it has dropped a few mills in the pursuit of a more sleek silhouette.

The GLC pairs familiar MRA 2 underpinnings with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder 48V mild-hybrid petrol engine paired to a 9-speed auto. Mercedes has performed the standard Houdini trick of introducing a powertrain that is somehow both torquier and more fuel efficient than its predecessor – the new GLC 300 offers 30Nm more than the last one, while combined fuel economy has dropped by half a litre to 7.7L/100km on the WLTP cycle.

Why did I single out the GLC 300? Well, because it is now the only GLC trim-level offered in New Zealand. Until the AMG grades get here, anyway.

The previous pure diesel, petrol, and plug-in hybrids have all been scrapped, in a move that Mercedes says is calculated. According to the brand its customers only want the hybrid, and only want the 300. This level of ‘streamlining’ is undoubtedly a bold strategy, particularly when it’s your most popular model that is getting condensed down to one grade.

At launch, the brand let slip that the plug-in hybrid was skipped over because of fears it would be priced too close to the upcoming EQE SUV. Instead of dividing plug-in customers, it aims to funnel them all towards the EQE.

Outside

It might not be evident at first glance, but the new GLC’s body really is all new. Not a single panel carries over directly from the outgoing GLC. At the GLC’s New Zealand launch, held last week in Beachlands, an old GLC was on hand as a chase vehicle.

Parked next to each other, the changes become clear. There’s the new corporate grille, the bodylines are more slick, the tail lights more slim, the shape of the glasshouse tapers up to give the GLC’s rear end more emphasis. The changes are subtle, but they’re also plenty.

Inside

If what you see inside the GLC rings familiar, it should. The overhauled cabin borrows heavily from the C-Class. As with its sedan sibling, the GLC’s cabin is headlined by a 12.3-inch digital cluster and 11.9-inch touchscreen, each running the brand’s latest MBUX interface. The cascading dashboard, plush surfaces, and neat array of ambient lighting also make an appearance.

It may be offered in just the one spec, but there’s still a decent amount of optional kit for the GLC. Almost all of it features in the brand’s $6,900 Plus Package. This throws in augmented reality satnav, Burmester 3D audio, acoustic glass, adaptive high beams, and more. Thankfully, the GLC comes with most of ‘the vitals’, like the three-pointed star’s full safety suite, wireless charging, a head-up display, and electronic tailgate.

The GLC’s increase in dimensions means some gains for interior space, but less than you might expect. Shoulder room for both rows has grown, but only by a few millimetres. The story is the same for legroom, growing incrementally thanks to the 15mm wheelbase boost. Progress is more apparent in the boot, which has swelled by 50L between generations to 620L with the seats up.

Not that it’s lacking for space inside. Generously curved front seats mean that adults in the second row won’t feel too rammed. The quality and tech on show in the GLC feels perfectly in line with larger, more expensive peers. One could argue that the GLC nudges right up to the $177,700 GLS in terms of tech and spec.

On the road

Our launch loop with the GLC kicked off at Formosa Golf Resort in Beachlands, snaking through to Maraetai and Kaiaua, before heading inland to Howick’s main drag. A familiar stretch amongst us petrolheads, the coastal jaunt is one geared to showing off a car’s handling chops – as well as how it handles the surprise, blind corner pothole.

Stuff has long been fans of the GLC. It has been perhaps one of Mercedes’ most consistent nameplates in recent years. And, maybe unsurprisingly, the new one is no different. On these occasionally cambered and patchy roads, the GLC is super versatile. Push it a little, and it responds with plenty of grip, precise steering, and a surprisingly tonal bark from the 2.0-litre.

Off the boil, the GLC is even better. The plush looking cabin is relatively quiet, and its damping is at the pointy end for the segment in terms of its ability to iron out challenging road surface changes. The GLC could ride a little quieter admittedly; its AMG-Line 20-inch wheels and 255/45 rubber the potential culprit. But complaints on roads like these are few and far between.

Why would I buy it?

What can you say, it’s a GLC. If you’re in the market for a premium German mid-sizer, statistics show that you probably already have one of these in the crosshairs. And, it makes sense. The ever versatile GLC is now even more also one of the most techy models in the Mercedes-Benz line-up.

Why wouldn’t I buy it?

The lack of variety in the GLC’s line-up is undoubtedly its biggest bugbear, particularly given that the one model that the brand did nominate to stay is a mere mild hybrid and not a plug-in. Given how much we enjoyed the EQE we recently tested in Australia, the EQE SUV could be a huge model for Mercedes – and one that could eat the GLC’s lunch.

Bonus images