Fresh Mercedes SUV drops diesels
Mercedes-Benz has refreshed its most popular model for 2020 with a huge tech upgrade and an all-petrol lineup, writes Rob Maetzig.
How do you improve a thoroughbred? Countless owners and trainers of racehorses have found that to be a very tall order. That’s the bad news. The good news, however, is that every now and again one comes along that is so good it is simply the best right from the start.
Mercedes-Benz enjoyed that status in 2015 when it introduced a medium-sized sports utility vehicle in New Zealand for the first time.
The vehicle was the GLC, and it immediately began to vie with its sedan/wagon sibling the C-Class as the most popular Benz.
Make me an instant expert: What do I need to know?
The instant popularity of the GLC helped Mercedes-Benz leapfrog its rival premium marques to become the most popular luxury brand here. It has remained there ever since, with the GLC playing a major role as the top premium competitor in the crucial mediumsized SUV segment of the Kiwi new vehicle market.
But continuous improvement is key to ongoing success in the motor industry, and now the GLC has received its first facelift. It’s a significant facelift, too – and it’s all to do with changing market forces.
When the GLC was first launched four years ago, the SUV range comprised two turbo-diesels and a single petrol model. But reducing demand for oil burners has resulted in all the diesels being quietly dumped, and the range is now exclusively petrol, with the models featuring improved twinscroll turbocharged engines.
And in a nod to the growing popularity of the electric vehicle, for the first time the GLC range will soon include a plug-hybrid.
At a media event in Australia, Mercedes-Benz confirmed that this model, the $105,500 300e 4MATIC, will arrive during the second quarter of next year, will sip as little as 2.2 litres per 100 kilometres and will operate for up to 43km purely on electricity.
Other facelifted GLC SUV models on the horizon are a $130,900 3.0-litre V6-engined AMG43 and a $182,400 4.0-litre V8 AMG 63S, both of which will arrive early next year.
Meanwhile a $111,000 coupe version of the GLC 300 is arriving about now, and coupe versions of the AMG product are likely to be launched at roughly the same time as the SUV models during the opening quarter of next year.
There weren’t 300e or coupe models available to drive during the media event in inland Victoria, the attending journalists instead getting behind the wheels of what is available now – a pair of SUV models powered by 2.0-litre turbo engines, a rear-wheel-drive GLC 200 and an all-wheel-drive GLC 300.
Both of these SUVs, which retail for $87,600 and $101,400 in New Zealand, have undergone some cosmetic changes. These include redesigned head and tail lights and changes to the frontal design on the outside, as well as the installation of a touch pad instead of a rotary controller on the inside.
But the most significant changes are under the skin.
The GLC 200’s engine has been upgraded so it now sends 145kW of power and 320Nm of torque to the rear wheels, which is an improvement of 10kW and 20Nm over the outgoing model.
It continues to have the 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission, and Dynamic Select for a choice of driving modes.
Meanwhile the GLC 300 is powered by a 190kW/370Nm engine, which is a significant step up by 35kW and 20Nm over the engine in the GLC250 that this vehicle replaces. And if a customer wants to improve the ride and handling characteristics of either model, Mercedes-Benz does offer a range of chassis options.
For the media event all vehicles were equipped with a new version of a standard Agility Control suspension system with passive dampers. But for the first time these SUVs can be ordered with Dynamic Body Control adaptive suspension, which was previously exclusive to the GLC Coupe models.
Customers are now able to choose from three suspension types, including Air Body Control.
All models in the facelifted GLC range now have the MBUX infotainment system, which includes a voice recognition package that enables those inside to control dozens of common functions by using the ‘‘Hey Mercedes’’ voice command. Gotta admit it’s fun using this system by simply talking to it.
All models are also equipped with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen multimedia display, alongside a fully digital and customisable instrument cluster. A new steering wheel has touchsensitive controls for MBUX, which allow the driver to navigate digital displays using swiping gestures just like with a smartphone.
Where did you drive it?
Because Mercedes-Benz is based in Melbourne in Australia, the launch was held in their backyard. We figured this facelift to the GLC is a bit like keeping a thoroughbred racehorse in top condition, which is why, during our time tooling around inland Victoria on the media event, a beautiful life-sized statue of a racehorse in the village of Nagambie grabbed our attention.
The statue is of Black Caviar, which set a world record by going undefeated in 25 starts before retiring in 2013 to be a broodmare.
She was born near Nagambie, and the statue by artist Mitch Mitchell is of her in full flight winning one of her many races.
We thought it appropriate to stop and photograph our vehicle with Black Caviar. Thoroughbred alongside thoroughbred, you might say. And both at the very top of their respective games.
What’s the pick of the range?
Both models offer a lovely drive, befitting of the GLC’s status as among the very best medium-sized SUVs on the market.
While on paper their torque characteristics aren’t as good as those of the now-discontinued turbo diesel models, they both perform well – for example, the entry GLC 200’s time to 100kmh is a sound 7.8 seconds, while average consumption has reduced to 7.8l/100km.
Obviously the GLC 300, with its more powerful engine, 4MATIC allwheel drive system and 20-inch wheels instead of the 19-inch versions on the GLC200, offers a stronger and more secure drive.
Why would I buy it?
You want a premium SUV that offers all the practicality of the segment with a high-quality interior and loads of the latest tech that is also satisfying to drive.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
You’re a BMW or Audi diehard, or you want to wait for the more powerful versions that are inevitably on the way.