Talking about the design of the all-new GLC, it’s not a radical departure from the old GLC design but yes, it has now definitely become a lot smarter and sleeker. At the front, there is a fair bit of chrome with the big Mercedes badge in the centre. It gets sleek LED headlamps with DRLs which look good. Moving on to the side, it gets newly designed 19-inch alloy wheels with a brilliant pattern that gives the car a very dynamic look.
When you look at the car from the side, you realise that this is bigger than the previous GLC. The new GLC measures 4,716 mm in length, an increase of 60 mm and the wheelbase has also been increased by 15 mm to 2,888 mm. The width remains the same as its predecessor, while the height has been decreased by 4 mm to 1,640 mm.
The GLC is now longer, and it looks bigger, which is something that Indian buyers will appreciate. Also, once you move to the back, it gets sleek LED taillamps with healthy doses of chrome which is tastefully implemented. Overall, the new GLC is a dynamic-looking SUV with the kind of look that buyers want from an SUV in the segment, wherein it should have a nice dynamic personality but at the same time, look premium and elegant.
Step inside the new GLC and the interior looks great and vibrant. The SUV gets a new layout, which is similar to what we’ve seen in the C-Class, but what I liked is the Maybach treatment they’ve given on the dashboard which stands out and I’m sure a lot of people are going to love this treatment. Overall, it’s a proper Mercedes-Benz cabin as the material quality, fitment, leather and soft-touch dashboard are top-notch and go well with the positioning of this SUV.
What I like is the large 11.9-inch touchscreen infotainment duo and the way the entire centre console has been designed and the infotainment is slightly tilted towards the driver. The display quality, the resolution, and the touch response are impressive. The system gets a new NT7 interface with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. It also gets connected car tech with the Mercedes Me app which will let you access a lot of functions using your smartphone.
The SUV sports a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster which gives you crisp and clear readouts. The steering wheel gets touchpads integrated on both sides which can be used to control the infotainment and instrument cluster. The seats are brilliant in terms of support, the cushioning is spot on and the shoulder room is nice. The overall space up front is good too, so you can be larger with a larger body frame, but you will not have a problem in terms of comfort. In terms of features, the new GLC scores well.
It gets ventilated seats, a wireless charger, a massive panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, multi-zone automatic climate control, ambient lighting, voice recognition, a 360-degree camera, an air purifier and more. The storage space too has been designed in a very thoughtful and practical way. Overall, it’s a nice cabin with all the luxury touches and all the new tech that you would want.
It gets metal-finished door handles which really stand out and the 64-colour ambient lighting again gives the cabin a very good look. It also gets a fantastic 15-speaker Burmester surround audio system with amazing sound quality. In terms of space at the rear, with the driving seat adjusted to my driving preference and I’m five feet eight inches for reference and I had a lot of space and I could easily slide my legs under the seat and still had a lot of room to spare.
The headroom is good too due to the no sloping roofline and the seats offer good cushioning. Theoretically, you can have three passengers sitting here but the problem is the transmission tunnel in the centre is very high. So if you will have a third person sitting here, it might not be very comfortable. The open feeling of the cabin, especially with the panoramic sunroof makes the experience better. The GLC offers a modern, sophisticated, spacious and comfortable cabin, which happens to be tech loaded and connected.
Now coming to the driving experience of the new GLC, the SUV gets two engine options – a 2.0-litre turbo petrol and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel. The one we drove was the 2.0-litre turbo petrol. It develops 258 hp of power and 400 Nm of torque, is a mild hybrid and has an integrated starter generator (ISG) which provides assistance in the form of power. And as a result of that, it adds to fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. The engine comes paired with a 9G tronic automatic transmission which sends power to all four wheels via a 4-Matic system.
2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC: Finally back but better or not? | TOI Auto
How was it in the real world to drive? Well, the petrol motor feels adequately powered and definitely, it is punchy. Once you put it in Sport mode, well, that’s when you can enjoy it best. The engine gets aggressive and the gear shifts are pretty quick. The gearbox is paired well with the engine and it works seamlessly. It’s not a sporty transmission per se but yes, it is a very nicely balanced transmission wherein you get the shifts at a fairly decent pace. If you want to take control of the gearbox, you can use the paddle shifters.
What I do like about this car is that when you’re driving in sport mode, and you’re pushing the car hard, the gearbox does try to hold on to the higher revs for a bit. Yes, it will not hold it completely even when you’re driving in manual mode, but it does make an effort to hang on to the higher revs. That does add to the driving experience when you’re going fast.
In terms of driving comfortably and decently. Well, again, it’s a very refined motor, a bit odd sounding on the outside, but once you’re inside, it’s a proper Mercedes-Benz cabin, with very good sound insulation throughout as a result of that there’s barely any sound that creeps into the cabin and it’s pretty quiet and silent.
In terms of acceleration from a standstill, there’s just this hint of a lag by the time the turbo spools up, but once you’re past that, then definitely the engine provides a good amount of power and it’s got a nice grunt to it. As mentioned previously, the transmission also works well with the engine and as a result of which you get a good driving experience. When you’re going around corners, a good drive results in good exits from all the corners, and you get to drive a car that is genuinely good to drive.
In terms of ride quality, the suspension does a brilliant job, it’s tuned slightly more towards the comfort side, which is what you would expect in a normal Mercedes-Benz, and it does its job pretty well. The sound from the suspension is very less, so it’s overall a very silent car to operate. And even when you’re going fast, in terms of handling, the suspension does a good job.
So you can throw the GLC around corners in sport mode, you can go around corners at a fairly fast pace and the car will not complain. Yes, there is a body roll, which you would expect with a softer suspension setup but it is not to the point that it will spoil or ruin your driving experience. As far as balance is concerned, I think the engineers have got it right in terms of striking the fine line between comfort and performance.
Now just in case, you’ve been thinking that the new GLC is all about on-road performance and comfort. While that’s not the case, it is capable of going off-road as well. And not just mild off-road, it can do a fair bit of off-roading, it gets an additional ground clearance of 20 mm with the off-road package and it also has downhill speed regulation. My personal favourite is the transparent bonnet, which uses cameras and sensors to create an image of what’s underneath the bonnet so that you can go around tight offroad spaces with precision.
Now coming to the last part where we tell you whether the new GLC is worth buying or not.
Considering the value equation of this vehicle and considering how it is as a product, I think the GLC is a big step ahead of its predecessor. The new one is better in almost every department. It looks better, it is bigger, it has more space, it’s more comfortable. It’s also better to drive, it has more power, it is more fuel-efficient, it is cleaner, and it is smarter and connected. So yes, a big improvement in every department and it’s a great package overall.
With prices starting from Rs 73.5 lakh (ex-showroom). The new GLC is priced competitively and of course, it’s pricier than the outgoing version because of all the new features and tech that have been added. But at the end of the day, at its price, it offers good value for money. I think the customers will take it up, and the previous GLC was already the market leader in its segment. With all of the improvements in the new GLC, there’s no reason to doubt that the new GLC will soon once again be the market leader in this segment.