First drive review: Mercedes-Benz GLC

Monday, 18 November 2019

Mercedes-Benz has given its most popular model a refresh for 2020.

Price range: $87,600 (GLC 200) to $101,400 (GLC 300).

Powertrains: 2.0-litre petrol four with 145kW/320Nm (GLC 200) or 190kW/370Nm (GLC 300). Nine-speed automatic, RWD or AWD.

Body style: Five door SUV

The Mercedes-Benz GLC is now only available as a petrol in New Zealand.

On sale: Now

How do you improve a thoroughbred? Countless owners and trainers of racehorses have found that to be a very tall order. That's the bad news. The good news however is that every now and again one comes along that is so good it is simply the best right from the start. Mercedes-Benz enjoyed that status in 2015 when it introduced a medium-sized SUV in New Zealand for the first time. The vehicle was the GLC, and it immediately began to vie with its sedan/wagon sibling the C-Class as the most popular Benz.

Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?

The instant popularity of the GLC helped Mercedes-Benz leapfrog its rival premium marques to become the most popular luxury brand here. It has remained there ever since, with the GLC playing a major role as the top premium competitor in the crucial medium-sized SUV segment of the Kiwi new vehicle market.

Not a lot has changed on the outside of the GLC, but then not a lot needed to.

The GLC loses the rotary dial in favour of a touchpad controller, along with many other tech upgrades.

* GLC coupe is the key to Mercedes-Benz's SUV success

* Why the Mercedes-Benz GLC is the Top Premium SUV of 2016**

The more powerful AWD GLC 300 offers a stronger, more secure drive.

But in the motor industry continuous improvement is key to ongoing success, and now the GLC has received its first facelift. It's a significant facelift, too – and it's all to do with changing market forces.

When the GLC was first launched four years ago the SUV range comprised two turbo-diesels and a single petrol model. But now reducing demand for oil burners has resulted in all the diesels being quietly dumped, and the range is now exclusively petrol, with the models featuring improved twin-scroll turbocharged engines.

The will initially come to New Zealand in RWD GLC 200 and AWD GLC 300 forms.

And in a nod to the growing popularity of the electric vehicle, for the first time the GLC range will soon include a plug-hybrid.

At a media event in Australia, the Mercedes-Benz people confirmed this model, the $105,500 300e 4MATIC, will arrive during the second quarter of next year , will sip as little as 2.2 L/100km and will operate for up to 43km purely on electricity.

Other facelifted GLC SUV models on the horizon are a $130,900 3.0-litre V6 engined AMG43 and a $182,400 4.0-litre V8 AMG 63S, both of which will arrive early next year.

Comparing thoroughbreds - the GLC with a statue of the undefeated race horse Black Caviar at Nagambie in Victoria.

Meanwhile a $111,000 coupe version of the GLC 300 is arriving about now, and coupe versions of the AMG product are likely to be launched at roughly the same time as the SUV models during the opening quarter of next year.

There weren't 300e or coupe models available to drive during the media event in inland Victoria, the attending journalists instead getting behind the wheels of what is available now - a pair of SUV models powered by 2.0-litre turbo engines, a rear-wheel drive GLC 200 and an all-wheel drive GLC 300.

Both of these SUVs, which retail for $87,600 and $101,400 in New Zealand, have undergone some cosmetic change including redesigned head and tail lights and changes to the frontal design on the outside, and installation of a touch pad instead of a rotary controller on the inside.

But the most significant changes are under the skin.

The GLC 200's engine has been upgraded so it now sends 145kW of power and 320Nm of torque to the rear wheels which is an improvement of 10kW and 20Nm over the outgoing model. It continues to have the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission, and Dynamic Select for a choice of driving modes.

Meanwhile the GLC 300 is powered by a 190kW/370Nm engine, which is a significant step-up by 35kW and 20Nm over the engine aboard the GLC250 this vehicle replaces.

And if a customer wants to improve the ride and handling characteristics of either model, Mercedes-Benz does offer a range of chassis options.

For the media event all vehicles were equipped with a new version of a standard Agility Control suspension system with passive dampers, but for the first time these SUVs can be ordered with Dynamic Body Control adaptive suspension which was previously exclusive to the GLC Coupe models. Customers are now able to choose from three suspension types, including Air Body Control.

All models in the facelifted GLC range now have the MBUX infotainment system which includes a voice recognition package that enables those aboard to control dozens of common functions by using the 'Hey Mercedes' voice command. Gotta admit it's fun using this system by simply talking to it.

The GKC 300 gets a 190kW version of the 2.0 turbo petrol engine.

All models are also equipped with a 10.25-inch central touch screen multimedia display, alongside a fully digital and customisable instrument cluster. A new steering wheel has touch-sensitive controls for MBUX, which allow the driver to navigate digital displays using swiping gestures just like with a smartphone.

Where did you drive it?

Because Mercedes-Benz is based in Melbourne in Australia, the launch was held in their back yard. We figured this facelift to the GLC is a bit like keeping a thoroughbred racehorse in top condition, which is why, during our time tooling around inland Victoria on the media event, a beautiful life-sized statue of a racehorse in the village of Nagambie grabbed our attention.

The statue is of Black Caviar, which set a world record by going undefeated in 25 starts before retiring in 2013 to begin a new career as a broodmare. She was born near Nagambie, and the statue by artist Mitch Mitchell is of her in full flight winning one of her many races.

We thought it entirely appropriate to stop and photograph our vehicle with Black Caviar. Thoroughbred alongside thoroughbred, you might say. And both at the very top of their respective games.

What's the pick of the range?

Both models offer a lovely drive, befitting of the GLC's status as among the very best medium-sized SUVs on the market. While on paper their torque characteristics aren't as good as those of the now-discontinued turbo diesel models, in reality they both perform well – for example, the entry GLC 200's time to 100kmh is a sound 7.8 seconds, while average consumption has reduced to 7.8 L/100km.

Obviously the GLC 300 with its more powerful engine, 4MATIC all-wheel drive system and 20-inch wheels instead of the 19-inch versions on the GLC200, means it offers a stronger and more secure drive.

Why would I buy it?

You want a premium SUV that offers all the practicality of the segment with a high-quality interior and loads of the latest tech that is also satisfying to drive.

Why wouldn't I buy it?

You're a BMW or Audi diehard, or you want to wait for the more powerful versions that are inevitably on the way.