Mercedes GLC
Cosseting ride is a trademark of the GLC, but ho how does it shape up against its sporty new Italian rival?
MERCEDES’ GLC majors on comfort – exactly what you want from a family SUV. However, buyers in this class are demanding, so in sporty AMG Line spec with the optional Premium Plus package added here, and combined with the firm’s 250 d diesel engine, the £44,465 GLC is on the money with its rivals. Can it compete with them?
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
THE GLC uses Mercedes’ MRA Modular Rear Architecture – the same platform that underpins the firm’s C-class saloon. The C in the car’s name refers to its size, while GL signifies its SUV credentials.
Boosting that is the GLC’S standard 4MATIC four-wheel-drive system, and while this isn’t programmed to deliver as sporty a drive as the Stelvio, it offers plenty of reassuring traction, which is especially welcome as we approach winter.
Under the bonnet Mercedes’ 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel delivers 201bhp and the most torque here, at 500Nm. It’s also produced lower down in the rev range, from just 1,600rpm. The engine is linked to a nine-speed auto transmission, unlike its rivals’ eight-speed boxes, for improved response.
Our test car was also fitted with Mercedes’ £1,495 Air Body Control adaptive air suspension, so it’s more advanced under the skin than the standard steel-sprung, non-adaptive Alfa, and matches the Volvo’s electronically adjustable air suspension set-up.
The GLC feels good for its £44,465 list price as the interior is trimmed with high-quality materials, giving the car the most lavish ambience here. It gets plenty of kit, too, including heated seats, LED lights, upgraded sat-nav with Bluetooth and DAB as part of the Premium Plus pack, parking sensors and a reversing camera. There’s very little to split the Alfa and Mercedes here, so it’ll come down to how they drive and how much they cost to run.
DRIVING
IF you’re after a comfortable SUV, the Mercedes is the car for you. The air suspension is supple and cosseting, cushioning blows from the road where the Alfa feels more edgy and the Volvo stiffer, too.
This flowing ride quality is the GLC’S calling card and makes it the nicest, most comfortable car over rough surfaces. That’s backed up by a strong engine that delivers decent performance.
At our test track the Mercedes accelerated from 0-60mph in 7.7 seconds, and with lots of low-down torque and nine gears (meaning each one is shorter than its eight-speed rivals) it didn’t lack performance over our 30 to 50mph and 50 to 70mph tests, posting competitive times against even the rapid Alfa.
The box is a little sluggish to change, but it’s smooth, so when you’re driving around normally the Mercedes feels silky, while the engine is hushed at normal pace. Yet this refinement is shattered by the coarse growl from the old 2.1-litre engine when you put your foot down. It’s best to accelerate at a moderate pace and let the box shuffle through its ratios quickly to keep cruising relaxed and refined.
The GLC feels more at home like this, because the soft set-up makes it the least agile choice here. The steering is heavy, too, and combined with the roll in corners – even in the firmer Sport+ mode, which corrupts the ride quality – it doesn’t like being hustled. Keep a lid on your pace and the GLC is nicely polished whether in town traffic or on a motorway.
PRACTICALITY
A 550-litre boot means the GLC offers the most luggage space on test with the rear seats in place. Drop them down using the handy buttons that release the 60:40 splitfolding backrests (similar to the Stelvio and XC60) and there’s 1,600 litres of capacity to match the Alfa – both offer 168 litres more than the Volvo.
The cabin is roomy and a match for the XC60’S, while both feel more spacious than the slightly cramped Stelvio, especially in the rear due to the Alfa’s darker interior and rising windowline.
Visibility is also better as a result, but as family SUVS, all three tick plenty of boxes when it comes to practicality as storage is plentiful inside the GLC.
OWNERSHIP
FOR a premium brand, Mercedes’ result of 21st out of 27 in our Driver Power 2017 satisfaction survey is disappointing and quite some way behind Volvo’s seventh place finish. However, the German brand’s dealers were rated four places higher than the Swede’s, in 12th out of 26.
We’ve run a GLC on the Auto Express fleet and it proved dependable and enjoyable to live with, and safety is a big part of that. The car got a full five-star rating in Euro NCAP’S crash tests thanks to its seven airbags and autonomous emergency braking, while automatic parking and a reversing camera are standard equipment on the model, too.
You can also upgrade the safety tech with the £1,695 Driving Assistance package, which adds blindspot and lane keep assist, cross traffic alert and adaptive cruise with steering assist.
RUNNING COSTS
THE Volvo claws back some of its deficit in company car costs with its more affordable insurance premiums. Our sample driver will pay £736 per year, helped by its safety kit, while annual cover for the Alfa and GLC stands at £913 and £1,038 respectively.
Mercedes’ £35-per-month three-year service pack also works out more expensive than Volvo’s £970 three-year offering, at £1,260 in total. Alfa is yet to announce maintenance prices for the Stelvio.
MODEL TESTED: Mercedes GLC 250 d 4MATIC AMG Line Premium Plus PRICE: £44,465 ENGINE: 2.1-litre 4cyl, 201bhp