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This is an all-inclusive review of the second-generation GLC, where I talk about the pre-launch development, the design, the competition and the drive.
The Start of the Star
It's been twenty-seven years since the three-pointed star reached Indian shores. Perhaps even outside of the automotive world, no other brand commands respect as much as this German marque. The logo is, without doubt, one of the world's most recognizable ones. The makers of the first gasoline-powered car and a status symbol of modern times, Mercedes-Benz continues to be the pedigree manufacturer it always has been.
The W210 E-class with its double-barrel headlamps was a rage back in the days. One of Merc's first cars in India received cult status, with influential people lining up to own one of them. While the S Class remained the pinnacle of luxury, the C-Class appealed to a much larger audience. The comfort and suaveness of the Germans had an unknown threat in India- the challenging road conditions with varying terrains.
Mercedes sensed the opportunity and fast-tracked its ML-Class to India. The result, though, wasn't perfect. Compatriots BMW and Audi brought in technologically more advanced SUVs, the X5 and the Q7, respectively. The duo offered a better package than Merc's big and burly SUV that had an infotainment system playing catch-up to the changing times.
Mercedes felt the heat for the first time. Once, the undisputed leaders in the Indian luxury space now struggled in the growing SUV era. The GL-Class of 2010 accentuated its SUV building prowess, just like the halo car G-Wagon. Meanwhile, BMW and Audi brought in more affordable SUVs – X3 and Q5. The star from Stuttgart struggled in its SUV line-up - It was time for an overhaul.
New Beginnings
Like how Germans name their cars practically, Mercedes didn't have to look far for new names. G is for geländewagen (German for off-road vehicle), and the L was a linkage to the class – C, E or S. The GLE replaced the ML, and the GLS replaced the GL. An all-new crossover had to complete the line-up – the GLC.
The C Class was the entry-level Merc for a long time. And it was, unsurprisingly, the best-selling too. The only thing that drove prospective buyers away would've been the low ground clearance. The GLC was in the works, ready to sort out the battle with the Indian roads. Since its international launch in 2016, the GLC has become its best-selling model every year since 2018.
The estate silhouette with the raised stance lent it a different look from the X3 and Q5. The design seemed fresh, and the sales numbers mirrored it. The first-generation, though, had its flaws. A touchscreen wasn't on offer across all trim lines, and the COMAND infotainment was on its way to extinction. The push-button start feature was missing too. The good bit was the potent petrol powertrain on the GLC 300.
After three years on sale, the market scene changed. Audi's Q5 was long past its due replacement, while the BMW X3 struggled to keep prices in check. News of the soon-to-come BS6 regulations made the trio all the more cautious. Mercedes, though, had other ideas. Here's a fun fact – Mercedes-Benz has the most number of models on sale in India right now – 26 – that's 11 more than Maruti Suzuki's tally, for reference. It's a testimony of Merc's commitment to India- the Bangalore R&D centre is the second largest after Stuttgart's.
The 2019 GLC had quite a bit of new things upfront. All-new LED headlamps, taillamps and bigger 19" alloy wheels. The significant difference, though, came under the hood and in the cabin. Gone was the GLC 300; India now received the GLC 200 (194 BHP, 320 Nm) and GLC 220d 4MATIC (192 BHP, 400 Nm). The 4MATIC is Mercedes' commercial name for its All-Wheel-Drive system.
Contemplation
From Honda Civic to BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. From Honda CR-V to Ford Endeavour. From BMW X1 to Skoda Superb. The prospective list had variety. Requirements were simple – a smooth and refined vehicle for the family; should seat five in comfort over long journeys.
The 2 Series had a cramped rear seat – the roofline restricts it to a two-seater. It had all the bling and performance, though. The power output and the brakes were terrific- both responded lightning fast to even the slightest inputs. The X1, even in the M-Sport trim, felt very basic and car like- it didn't exude the solid feel of a BMW.
Ford's Endeavour came along for a test drive, and I was immediately impressed with its smooth gearbox, features and, of course, its size. The auto parallel park feature blew me away. The only downside was the single turbo diesel with 167 HP. It made the SUV feel like searching for power during overtakes. We were closing in on the Endeavour – until Honda came into consideration.
The CR-V seemed like a good deal. It was petrol-powered, plus the Honda tag made it pass all requirements of refinement. The dealers also offered a sparely-used new Civic for the price of a new City. The offer was tempting. The 2020 Civic had an excellent ground clearance of 170mm, unlike the other sedans BMW 220d (152mm) and Skoda Superb (156mm). Ground clearance is a big deal in India, so the Civic seemed perfect.
That was when Honda decided to discontinue both the Civic and CR-V with immediate effect. The new Fortuner was around the corner, but crude ride quality reviews made us think otherwise. The options felt limited. Used cars on the internet seemed like a great deal – there were 530i s and E220d s for great deals – but owning a luxury car out of warranty is like signing a blank cheque.
Good Looking Car
The Kochi dealer for Mercedes Benz was also the exclusive AMG dealer for Kerala at that time. A black AMG C43 Coupe was on display, and I sat in those bucket seats – first time inside a Merc. It felt very different from a BMW (probably because it wasn't an M car), and I loved it. Then there was a C200 and an E220d to check out. C200's interior felt cramped up in the front – you sit pretty low, and the dashboard is high – coming from the XUV500, it felt cramped.
Outside the building, there was a parking lot filled with Mercs. One of the lots had the second-generation GLC in Obsidian Black shade. From the outside, it looked handsome. The LEDs at the front and rear contrasted nicely with the dark tint. Now you get the backronym for GLC – a good looking car. The insides matched the outsides neck-to-neck with beige leather and wood inserts. The ambient lighting made its way through unexpected places and made it cosy to sit in the GLC.
There's the split panoramic sunroof with translucent shade – light is always in abundance in the cabin. The AC vents felt top-notch. The brushed aluminium inserts made their way to the knobs and dashboard as well. The only downside was the rear space – don't expect much considering the length of the vehicle; it's just enough space to place the legs. The electric seat controls of the front seats are on the doors, which is a unique Mercedes-Benz trait.
Being a crossover with over 200mm ground clearance, the GLC takes the potholes out of the equation. The GLC was a practical solution – It seats five comfortably, is very refined in the cabin, and can easily take on bad roads. We made the final decision - It had to be the GLC 220d 4MATIC.
Merc-Specific Quirks
January 29 is a significant day for Mercedes-Benz. Karl Benz applied for the patent of the first-ever vehicle powered by a gas engine on this day in 1886. We had the GLC delivered on the 135th anniversary, and to mark the occasion, the dealers included a GLC-specific keychain.
Now speaking of keys, there are no request sensors as standard on the GLC. It's an optional pack that comes with the AMG spec (unavailable in India). For a car northward of half a crore, this was a horrific miss. The door locks are retro. They stick out but look premium nevertheless. And now for the most extensive quirk in a Mercedes ever – the gear shifter.
I had only seen pictures of Mercs before, and this was the first time being physically inside the car. The usual area for the shifter houses a touchpad – to control the touchscreen. And the gear shifter placement is a throwback to old vehicles – to the right side of the steering wheel. It is a stalk actually – wiper/indicator stalk on other cars; the gear shifter on Mercedes-Benz.
So, where did they place the wiper-indicator combo? It turns out they managed to put the duo together on the left stalk. The controls are overwhelming at first, but I must admit the gear shifter placement is spot-on. Rather than having to lift the hand each time from the wheel, now you can shift to Park, Reverse, Neutral or Drive just with a tap of the finger.
Switching between certain European and Japanese cars can be quirky. Most cars in India have the turn signal stalk on the right (Maruti Suzuki, Honda, Hyundai). There are others with the wiper controls on the right (Volkswagen, Renault, BMW and the other Europeans). Accidentally using the other at times is no big deal, but when you have the gear shifter on one side, it does become serious.
You have to press the brake pedal to engage the gears, and the car should be at rest – So accidents are not that much of a cause of concern due to an accidental gearshift. Still, it is a motion for the brain to get used to, especially in peak traffic situations.
MBUX
The most incredible leap for the GLC came in its infotainment system. Gone was the archaic COMAND that made Audis look twenty years ahead of its time. The Mercedes-Benz User Experience was the all-new AI-powered system for user-vehicle communication. The introduction of the touchscreen was a welcome one – Now, you had three ways to control the media – Steering wheel controls, touchpad in the centre and the touchscreen itself.
The touchpad isn't the slickest, but the touchscreen is. It's got a crisp display and navigation as standard. The rear camera quality is brilliant, and the car gets parking sensors all around. They do a great job in helping the driver park the vehicle. The sensors are slow to respond, but Mercedes would sort that out by the next-generation model. A minor glitch here: the graphic display for the settings shows a GLE instead of the GLC, while at the other menus, it's the GLC itself.
MBUX also brings in a voice assistant. Call out "Hey Mercedes", and the response is "How may I help you?". It is a quirk to have some fun on the road. I asked if she (the voice is feminine) had heard of BMW. The reply was: "Yes, a close acquaintance of ours. Mercedes has supplied engines to BMW during their early days of production." Something along those lines - A typical camaraderie of the German giants and subtle marketing to boot.
Passenger Experience
If you want to waft over bad roads, the GLC is one great option to consider. The seats and headrests are made of soft leather, and all the controls fall into place easily. The suspension is tuned to the softer side – go through bumps at a moderate speed, and you wouldn't even know of it. A fast pothole move, though, would unsettle the car.
There's dual-zone AC at the front, and the aluminium knob controls feel solid to use. As I mentioned, the electric seats give you the perfect position in the front row, and the ride feels cosy with all the lighting at night. If it's sunny in the day, there's a built-in window shade for the rear doors. And if it's cloudy, open up the sunroof shade to complete the elegance.
Drive Review
Getting the proper driving position is a breeze. In most cases, the ergonomics are correct- electric seat controls on the door itself so you don't have to keep searching in the dark. The gear placement is thoughtful too. The only disappointment, if I were to nit-pick, would be the steering position. It feels placed a bit towards the left side and not to the centre of the driver. That's more of a get-used-to-it feature, though.
Firing up the car is with the start-stop button with the brake pedal pressed down – no surprises there. The speedo and tacho do the full swipe, and the MID shows up a graphic of the GLC. The sound in the cabin is very hushed, and it feels like a turbo petrol vehicle inside. Step outside, and the story is very different. You hear a sizeable diesel-powered turbine engine, ready to take off an aeroplane. The sound outside is unbelievably loud, a case similar to Volkswagen TDIs. Kudos to the sound insulation Mercedes-Benz has developed.
Unlike the BMW 220d and the X1, the GLC isn't as fast off the blocks. There is a slight delay in reaction. I'll put it down to the ZF 8-speed transmission of the BMWs against the 9G-TRONIC transmission of the Mercs. While it won't pin you to the seat with quick shifts, it's a comfortable cruiser nonetheless. But don't get me wrong, once you are on the freeway, the GLC quickly moves past triple digits, and the surge of power is endless.
There's a constant beep after 80 kmph, but it's a good attribute of the vehicle. There are other beeps, for the seatbelt reminder, among others, and they play smartly just like the alarm in your phone – a little sound at first that gradually builds up to a warning. The general sound quality of the speakers is above average, even without the optional Burmester sound system pack.
The hallmark of the GLC lies in the build quality. The thick doors feel heavy, and the car itself feels like a rock. Unlike the X1, which feels ready to take off once you push the accelerator, the GLC gives a reassuring feeling of firmness. It feels planted to the road with the combined effort of the heft and two pairs of Pirelli Scorpion Verdes.
User Feels
The one thing premium car owners can rest assured of is the quality of materials used in the car and its maintenance. The bill would always be on the higher side; Merc does not believe in repairs – they replace, whatever the part is. Maintenance costs aside, the car alone is of great value; profit for the premium carmakers come from after-sales.
For the extra cost, though, you do get indirect perks. Gates to offices and restaurants are always welcoming if you are in a Merc, probably not for ordinary cars. It's a perspective of somebody who has gone to the same places before in less expensive vehicles.
But that's the whole point; using the Merc as your daily driver if you travel a lot is a bad idea, especially if you want to keep the car for long. The maintenance costs would skyrocket; don't take the vehicle to any third-party workshop. Once your vehicle is tampered with, it automatically voids the warranty. The best way out is to drive it during the weekends, on special occasions, and create an impression – useful for some business deals.
Conclusion
The Good-Looking-Car is in the last stage of its first generation. There could be a possible change to the raised estate body style, with shades of the EQC filtering into the next-generation model. Mercedes did a facelift of the E-Class early this year, and while the E lost its twin DRL identity, the looks seem to grow with time. Nevertheless, the GLC had a great first-generation design while it lasted.
The car has a variety of powertrains and trims levels in international markets, making it Mercedes' best-selling model in the USA. Here in India, they brought in the mid-level Progressive variant, with all the right goodies and, in my opinion, cooler wheels than the AMG Line's. Enough said about the GLC – let's take a look at the competition.
Is it better than the X3? I would say it's on par. The X3 petrol puts out way more power than the GLC, and I've heard the drive is much better. Feature-wise they're neck-to-neck – no standard keyless entry on the Bimmer either. Personally, though, I like the looks of the GLC. The X3's interior feels a bit bland for my liking.
The other direct competition for the GLC comes from Audi's Q5 and Volvo's XC60 form. The Merc is a safer bet over Volvo's maintenance and resale value, while Audi is for the tech-savvy customer. If you aren't into that many gizmos and screens, it's better to keep it simple and classy with the GLC.
Long story short, here's my take on the GLC - It's one of the best options out there if you're looking for a practical crossover for the family. Like how Mercedes created the magic in 2016, I hope they can do it again next year with the all-new car.
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