Mercedes-Benz GLC gets more affordable

The recently launched Mercedes-Benz GLC is now locally manufactured. This has effected in the SUV now becoming more affordable. The revised prices of the GLC range are INR 52.6 lakhs (on-road, Pune) for the GLC220d 4MATIC and INR 56.65 lakhs (on-road, Pune) for the GLC220d 4MATIC Sport. The petrol GLC300 Sport (petrol) is priced at INR 57.09 lakhs (on-road, Pune). The reduction in the pricing is a result of  the local assembly of this new crossover. Both the petrol and diesel engines will be locally assembled at the company’s Chakan facility, at Pune . Read our detailed review on the new Mercedes-Benz GLC:

Mercedes-Benz GLC Review

Waking up early in the morning in the first monsoon week. Now that is a difficult thing. Especially when you staying on a hill station. Waking up early morning in Coorg, we moved out to our hotel’s lobby to drive the new Mercedes-Benz GLC.  Mercedes-Benz was stuck as it did have the GLK, which was its best selling SUV but unfortunately there wasn’t a right hand drive version available in India. The new-generation of the GLK (renamed as GLC) is now available in right hand drive and MB has taken too long to get it here. We drive it from Coorg to Mangalore to understand how does this SUV perform.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Exterior

The new GLC is a C-Class equivalent in the SUVs. On the outside, the front has a strong presence as it resembles the GLS-Class to a good extent. The radiator has two louvres with the three point star, Avant-garde style. There are large air intakes on the front bumper with under ride guard in silver chrome. Headlamps come with Intelligent Light System and of course these are LEDs. The silhouette has a five-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels. Then the aluminium look running boards with rubber studs. The tail lamps to my surprise were sleek and the rear was curve than boxy, which is the thing with the GLE and the GLS. This the Edition 1, so it gets exterior chrome package with roof rails, belittling trim strips and even window weather strip that comes in polished aluminium. The GLC has more crossover look than SUV. Look closely and you will see the design characteristics of the GLA and the GLE from different angles.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Interiors 

On the inside, GLC mirrors the C-Class. Everything is the same from the dash to the centre console detailing. Some elements are different on the GLC and these differ as per the body colours in which the GLC is offered. To start with, there is the three spoke steering wheel that bulges out on the horn bit and a twin dial instrument cluster that comes with driver information system at the centre. The centre console resembles the C-Class with a seven-inch screen. The COMAND system comes with 2 USB ports, 1 SD card slot, bluetooth connectivity and even Garmin maps. Space on the GLC is sufficient in both the rows with good enough support for thighs and back in the first row. The front seats have an extension for thigh support. At the rear, the knee room is more than enough even for tall people. A rear AC vents even get the control for the blower speed. The boot space is at 550 litres, good enough for a family to carry luggage for an entire weekend. However, for India the spare tyre eats up some of the space.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Engines and Performance

With regards to the engines on offer, GLC has one petrol and diesel. To everyone’s surprise, the petrol is more powerful than the diesel. Petrol engine at 245bhp has that extra punch that makes it amazing to drive when you wish to unwind yourself. The petrol motor is rev happy and has a linear increase in its power. Despite being a 2.0-litre engine, it has a lot of torque and smooth acceleration. The diesel on the other hand is torquey and you do feel the difference when the turbo kicks in.

The driving experience in the GLC is smooth and comfortable in the comfort mode, while in the Eco mode overtaking means changing of modes. In Sport the transmission gets more responsive however a bit jerky if you make those sudden acceleration moves. With the Sport+, the story continues as well. The response is much better in the Sport and then the Sport+ modes. the ride of the GLC is smooth, however it does get a bit unsettled on bad roads. The handling of the GLC is good enough. you might feel that there is some amount of body roll around bends, however this is due to the light steering wheel that doesn’t feel very lively. When you start to push it around around, it does a good job. The GLC comes with 4MATIC, and this ensures you do not loose any grip on most of the occasions.

Also Read: Mercedes-Benz GLB spotted on test

Mercedes-Benz GLC Images

To buy or not to?

With the  GLC entering this SUV segment, it is a lot more mature than the other SUVs in its segment. It offers more space and is a perfect family wagon, while the other two Germans miss out on space for the rear passengers. As the GLC will initially be a CBU, it will have a higher price than the C-Class as well. But soon things shall change when the assembly begins in the Chakan plant. Expect an on-road price of about INR 50 lakhs for Mumbai.