Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: A king returns
The revamped Mercedes-Benz GLC is bigger, roomier and feels a perfect fit in the mid-size luxury SUV segment
You can’t overstate the importance of the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the German luxury brand’s best-selling SUV in India until it was discontinued last year. Seven months on, its back in a new avatar and is set to pick up from where the old model left off.
In Mercedes-Benz’s vast model range of sedans and SUVs, the GLC occupies the sweetest spot. It’s a mid-size luxury SUV: not too big, not too small. It’s got proper SUV credentials, which means strong engines, lots of space and good ground clearance.
The new GLC is longer, wider and taller, opening up a lot of interior room. The boot is bigger too, and the best bit is that the spare tyre is neatly stowed under the boot floor, not on top of it as it was in the previous GLC. If you want still more boot space, flip the rear seats forward vial a seat-release button on each side of the boot. Very convenient.
There’s a noticeable improvement in legroom at the rear. Headroom is good too. However, the rear seat base is a bit is short and the backrest feels rather firm, even a bit too upright. The front seats are firm too, but they are generously cushioned, have lots of support and come with a wide range of adjustments. It would have been nice to have cooled seats (they are pointlessly heated, instead) and the massage function from the previous GLC has also gone. However, these are small misses in what is otherwise a feature-packed, high-tech cabin.
The 12.3-inch instrument panel and 11.9-inch central touchscreen take care of all functions, which can be customised and stored in your profile, and accessed by a fingerprint reader on the central console. The 360-degree camera has almost photographic quality resolution. In addition, the GLC has the cool new transparent bonnet, which uses the feed from the front camera to simulate a view of what’s underneath the SUV. This helps the driver navigate potholes and other obstacles easily. Also on board are Advanced Driver Assistance features such as active brake and lane-keep assist. Other goodies include an air purifier, 64-colour ambient lighting, a large panoramic sunroof and a sweet-sounding 15-speaker Burmester system.
Everything feels premium to the touch. In fact, in terms of fit and finish, the new GLC has set a new benchmark for its category. However, along with the modernisation of the cabin are a few quirks: such as touch sensitive seat and steering controls, which lack the tactile feel of the previous car.
I have to say the new GLC is genuinely fun to drive. The 258hp 2-litre turbo petrol engine gives a strong shove forward when you put your foot down. I just love the steering. It’s accurate, perfectly weighted and lets you drive with precision. On the roads around Hampi, it was a joy to steer this agile 2-ton SUV, which feels like a C-class on stilts. The ride, though comfortable, is on the stiff side and doesn’t have the plushness you associate with a Merc.
Priced around ₹74 lakh (ex-showroom), the new GLC is significantly more expensive than the outgoing model. But it offers a lot more for the money too. Overall, it’s a very balanced and well-rounded luxury SUV with a bit of everything. Mercedes has already bagged over 1,500 bookings for the new GLC, which is set to become the best-selling Mercedes SUV in India once again.
