Mercedes-Benz lands second-gen GLC SUV

MERCEDES-BENZ has detailed its second-generation GLC SUV for Australia this week, the popular family hauler offering more standard equipment than before, alongside a refreshed look that adds new body-coloured wheel arch mouldings, tapered aluminium running boards with rubberised studs, 20-inch AMG bi-colour wheels, and larger front brake rotors to the already well-specified package.

Inside, the GLC features a “radical overhaul” that emulates the recently updated C-Class, banishing almost all of the vehicle’s hard buttons in favour of a portrait-oriented display screen that controls most of the vehicle’s functions. Mercedes-Benz says the screen is set within an “elegant, streamlined environment that emphasises the quality of the materials and workmanship surrounding it”.

Mercedes-Benz says its more minimalist cockpit ambience is beset with high-quality materials including ARTICO (ARTIficial COw) upholstery, woodgrain garnishing across the dashboard, an elegant piano black finish for the centre console, and inductive smartphone integration and charging as standard.

Further, the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic now offers as standard much of the equipment found previously in option packages, including a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, electric front seat adjustment with memory function and heating, and AMG Line exterior and interior enhancements. Mercedes-Benz’s new “transparent bonnet” camera feature – with off-road driving data – is also included as standard.

The X254-series GLC-Class features a 48-volt electric system and second-generation integrated starter/generator (ISG) to support the turbocharged petrol unit at lower engine speeds, and includes gliding, boost, and recuperation modes to enable what Mercedes-Benz says are “significant fuel savings” of approximately 0.5 litres per 100km (now 7.7L/100km on the ADR Combined cycle).

The improved ISG is said to provide an additional 17kW and 200Nm to the GLC’s standard output and can recuperate electrical outputs at a higher rate than a comparable belt-driven starter generator. It also enables the engine to “start quickly and quietly”, making the vehicle’s idle-stop functionality “even more imperceptible”.

The combination of this system with Mercedes-Benz’s turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine offers 190kW of power and 400Nm of torque, an overall improvement of 30Nm against the outgoing model. Power is delivered to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes-Benz quotes a 0-100km/h time of “around 6.2 seconds”.

Now longer than before, the new GLC measures 4716mm in length (+60mm) with an accompanying 15mm difference in wheelbase (now 2888mm) and wider wheel tracks front (+6mm) and rear (+23mm). The vehicle is 4mm lower than before (at 1640mm), but the width is unchanged at 1890mm.

The increases provide the SUV with 50 litres more cargo space (now 620 litres in five-seat mode), as well as more rear seat head- and leg- and elbow room, and more front- and rear-seat shoulder room.

Optionally, the updated GLC SUV is available with two Manufaktur colour combinations, an alternative alloy wheel option, and a singular bundled option package dubbed Plus Package. The $6900 option adds MBUX augmented reality navigation, Guard 360 vehicle protection, Burmester 3D surround sound, additional driver assistance systems, Digital Light, adaptive high beam as well as noise and heat insulating acoustic glass.

Locally, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic SUV is available from $104,900 plus on-road costs. It is scheduled to go on sale from June 1.