Ashish Jha 
GLC has been around for a few years now, and it is a very important and very successful product for Mercedes-Benz. Globally, this nameplate has done over 2.6 billion units. Even in India, where the luxury market is not all that great in numbers and not as evolved as some of the other global marketplaces, this model has done over 13,000 units, which is not a small number.
This is now in its second generation and as you can see, it looks a whole lot different. It also goes very differently and there is a lot of change on the inside and in terms of features as well. And that’s exactly what we are going to be unpacking in this drive report.
Design
The new GLC has a lot of soft aggression about it. I think the grille section has a lot to do with that. And even along the sides, as you see, it’s got a little fluffy and a little bit more rounded. But at the same time, the overall stance of the balance is very, very nice.
And as you move towards the back, the tail lamp treatment is pretty much in sync with the rest of the cars in the Mercedes portfolio. Very sleek design, and overall, a very smart-looking SUV.
Interior
The cabin is reminiscent of the C Class. Everything that you see, touch and feel has a distinct C Class statement. But it fits very well with this SUV body shape — doesn’t feel out of place or unworthy of such a product. The material quality is lovely, everything feels very high-grade in here. The dash top is done in leather and the best part is that there’s hardly any reflection of it in the windscreen; so driving even in peak daylight is never a concern
The systems are all the latest hardware-software combinations. There’s a massive 11.9-inch main screen that controls almost all the features in the car and doubles up as the infotainment unit.
The GLC is also the first SUV in Merc’s model range to get the latest MBUX system running the latest NTG or New Telematics Generation 7. There are a few major changes between the NTG6 and NTG7 — you can easily identify the NTG7 by the screen and its layout. If you remember, some not-so-old Mercs came with glass screens which were a single slab horizontal design running from the driver end; those were on NTG6
Now the layout and screens themselves have changed. The NTG7 runs an off-screen layout like the one we have in this GLC. Vertically stacked waterfall-type layout of this 11.9-inch screen and the sizes go up as you go higher up the segment to the S class and then there’s the hyper screen found in the EQS. It runs the latest and the greatest version of the MBUX and it’s a breeze to use, really. Everything about the car is in the menus — from driver-assist functions to the interior lighting options, you can play with the seat kinetics feature and all sorts of connectivity-related things
The steering wheel is also loaded with buttons — all capacitive as has been the case for a while. It lets you change the layout of the info pod in front of the driver. There are 7 different options to choose from! The buttons on the left on the steering wheel give you control of the central screen and you can dive into menus from here as well
Now let’s go further into the cabin. The seats are fantastic in every way. They are supportive and just the right level of cushy. If I have to pick on it, I’d say that massaging seats could at least be an option — but other than that, there’s nothing to fault and they’ll be lovely for long drives.
When I sat in the back, I didn’t sense a great amount of difference in the space on offer from the previous generation, which was a bit of a surprise because this generational upgrade has made the GLC grow a fair bit in dimensions. But after a little digging in I realised the reason: the wheelbase has gone up marginally. It’s 15mm longer but the overall length has gone up by as much as 60mm. So where has all that length advantage gone? A lot of it is in the boot space on offer — which has gone up in volume by 70 litres!
There are three interior upholstery options and the one we have got is called Sienna Brown. Looks fabulous, and feels great. Subtle, elegant… Overall very lovely. The typical GLC owner will use this as a chauffeur driven vehicle and the lack of gizmos for the rear passengers to fiddle around with is perhaps a stark omission. Maybe a screen to work the MBUX system from back there would’ve been nice. What the rest passengers get right now is an armrest that houses a couple of cup holders. That’s it!
Driving
Now, let’s get to the heart of the matter! The GLC is going to come with two engine options: a 2L petrol or a 2L diesel, both with an ISG unit mounted between the engine and the gearbox. The ISG — it’s a belt-driven starter generator system that makes a 200Nm and runs a 48v mild hybrid supplementary starter alternator.
The 300 4Matic is the one we are driving. The nomenclature means it’s the one with a 2L petrol engine which makes about 258 horsepower and 400Nm. The diesel is 220d 4matic; makes 197 horsepower and 440Nm.
4matic means all-wheel drive in Mercedes parlance and the boundary of traction is quite beyond limit unless you’re being a total idiot behind the wheel. We hustled this car around a fair bit; driving 7-10th or so but it didn’t feel flustered in any way. I’ve had issues with the 9-speed automatic gearbox in the past but it has definitely been worked on because it feels a fair bit different.
Typically, when you’re just going about, it’ll likely drive you in a gear higher than you’d otherwise do — for example, going at about 40 Kays, it’s in 5th already… but there’s no complaint. And the moment you press the throttle pedal, it’ll shift and load up and build up the momentum very seamlessly. A good, flexible gearbox that doesn’t feel like it’ll be confused in stop-go traffic situations; but that’s something I’ll reserve my views on till we drive this in such scenarios.
The engine is fabulous. Newly 260 horsepower and, crucially, 400 torques! That’s nice and it sounds pretty decent on heavy throttling. It’s an engaging engine, has plenty of performance and is very civil when you are just normally going about.
The ride is also absolutely beautiful. Great compliance, very linear in its vertical movements and even sudden steering feeds and load shifts are handled with great composure. A big highlight about this car is the comfort it offers — from all the elements: tyres, seats and the suspension. Fantastically done.
But the biggest smile-forming piece of the package for me is the steering. The response is direct and intuitive and it flows beautifully. There’s never a moment you feel that the steering isn’t giving you enough in the form of a response. Is it loaded with feel? Not at all, but it’s got the right amount if heft and a great balance of directness and playfulness.
Conclusion
The GLC was always the main target in its category. The BMW X3, and the Audi Q5 — had their own great attributes but the GLC did almost everything well. With the new GLC, the boundaries have been shifted much further ahead.
It’s very comfortable, the engine is lovely and engaging enough, the steering is fantastic, it’s loaded with tech, and despite some big features missing, it’s not barren in here by any measure! This is, I think, set to shift the benchmarks a little more.
