Better late than never for appealing Mercedes

WE may be living in cash-strapped, austerity-era Britain but there appears to be no shortage of demand for posh, and pricey, family SUVS. BMW’S X3 and the Audi Q5 are long-time favourites but Land Rover’s Discovery Sport, the Range Rover Evoque and, more recently, Jaguar’s E-PACE and the relaunched Volvo XC60 have all brought their varied talents to an increasingly busy area of the market. Mercedes’ offering, the GLC, was a somewhat late arrival to this potentially lucrative party in the UK after the Stuttgart marque mysteriously chose not to build the predecessor GLK in right-hand drive form. Better late than never though, and since 2015 the GLC has been an appealing addition to the class. Those with really deep pockets and a thirst for speed can opt for performance-focused Mercedes-amg versions powered by either 3.0-litre, six-cylinder or 4.0-litre, eight-cylinder petrol power plants and offering eye-watering pace and acceleration. Most folk, though, will be shopping in more restrained territory, in relative terms, where they’ll find three trim levels – Urban Edition, Sport and AMG Line – with a choice of 2.1 or 3.0-litre diesel engines or a 2.0-litre petrol unit. All come with a smooth nine-speed automatic transmission and, unlike some rivals, every model gets 4x4 as standard. The 2.1-litre diesel engine is available with two power outputs on all but entry-level cars and even in its lower 170ps guise offers punchy performance, shifting the GLC from 0-62mph in a respectable 8.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph. It is also impressively refined and reasonably economical to run, with claimed average fuel economy of nearly 50mpg. There’s plenty of grip and body roll is well contained in corners, while any lumps and bumps in the road are ironed out effectively, especially with that air suspension system fitted. All of which makes the GLC a comfortable and quiet vehicle in which to travel. It’s a pretty plush one too. The cabin will be familiar to anyone who has sat in the C Class on which the SUV is based and it is everything you would expect of Mercedes in terms of quality and luxury. Soft-touch surfaces are all around and to my, admittedly untrained, eye it’s virtually impossible to distinguish Mercedes’ man-made Artico leather upholstery, featured in mid-range Sport models, from the real thing. This is contrasted black ash wood trim, giving everything a suitably premium and upmarket look and feel. Head and leg room is generous in the back, where, despite a slight transmission tunnel, three adults will fit shoulder to shoulder in reasonable comfort on shorter journeys. At 550 litres, rising to 1,600 with the 40/20/40-split rear seats folded down, the boot offers plenty of cargo capacity and includes a hidden compartment beneath the floor. A flat load lip and powered tailgate make loading and unloading easy. Typically of the prestige German brands, there is a range of optional extras as long as your arm, with almost £10,000-worth of add-ons included on my test car, but standard equipment is, nevertheless, good. Sport models get bespoke body kit and extra chrome trim, a seven-inch display screen, digital radio, navigation, keyless entry and ignition, reversing camera, air conditioning, active park assist and LED headlights. The GLC is a stylish premium SUV with genuine family practicality to back up its desirable badge – everything the well-to-do family motorist could want.