Mercedes GLC can give sleepless nights to its rivals

It looks good, is comfortable, spacious, very refined and there are plenty of features on offer.
It is also the player in its segment to be offered with a petrol engine.

Mercedes-Benz clearly had been missing from the luxury SUV segment until the GLC came in.

The Audi Q5, BMW X3 and the Volvo XC60 had been in the market for a long time now and finally gets competition from the 3-starred brand.

Lookswise, especially from the front fascia, you might mistake the GLC for the C-Class.

The headlights and grille are reminiscent of the C. However since this is an SUV, the GLC gets a large bumper with silver skid plates that make the SUV look rugged.

The side profile has a neat design to it.

There is only one crease on the doors which make the rather plain side profile kind of interesting.

There is black cladding all around the SUV.

There are side steps on either side and the rear is where the GLC looks more distinguishing.

The bumper gets two-tone finish along with dual exhaust pipes.

The alloy wheels also get a two-tone finish and look classy.

Interior is where any Mercedes will impress you with its quality of plastics, leather and the fit and finish. The GLC is no different.

The dashboard layout will remind you of the C-Class.

There is a multi-function steering wheel and the centre console comes finished in wood.

Behind the steering wheel, you have the signature Mercedes gear selector knob and other usual stalks.

There are 2 circular AC vents on either side of the dashboard and 3 in the middle.

Above the 3 AC vents is the 7-inch COMAND infotainment system which can be controlled using a circular knob placed down the console.

Sadly, this is not a touchscreen unit and this would be our only complaint when it comes to the interior.

Other cabin bits like the door pads, armrest and buttons are of impeccable quality.

The front seats offer excellent support and comfort.

There is an electric adjustment with memory function and even the lumbar support gets an electronic adjustment.

Headroom and knee room in the rear seat is generous, however, the rear AC vents eat into some space for the middle passenger.

The 550-litres boot space on paper sounds good but the spare wheel eats up a significant amount of that space.

Powering the Mercedes GLC is a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol motor that produces 245 HP of power and 370 Nm of torque.

The motor comes paired to a 9G-TRONIC automatic gearbox.

The gearbox is quick and efficient too.

The petrol motor feels peppy, however, mid-range is where the engine feels out of breath.

The motor redlines all the way at 6500 RPM and top-end is where the fun is. Mercedes claims a 0-100 km/hr in just 6.5 seconds which isn't bad at all.

There are 4 driving modes on offer - Comfort, Eco, Sport and Sport+.

Comfort is best suited for relaxed highway cruising, while Eco reduces performance and at the same time manages to extract more miles.

If you're in the mood for some spirited driving, then the Sport and Sport+ are the modes to be in.

The ride quality in the GLC is plush and will never discomfort the passengers.

The 235 section rubber does a good job of absorbing sharp undulations, however, on bad roads, the SUV gets wobbly.

The Offroad Package raises the ground clearance by 20 mm which comes across as a boon especially on Indian roads.

The feedback from the steering wheel is confidence inspiring particularly at high speeds.

Push the SUV around tight corners or twisties and it tells you it isn't made for that as the tyres tend to screech.

This isn't a bad thing at all after all the GLC is more tuned for cruising and not aggressive driving.

Brakes feel sharp and the grip levels from the tyres are good.

The three-pointed star brand has a widespread sales and service network in India.

The GLC comes feature-loaded, some of the safety features are Headlamp Assist, Attention Assist, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, ESP, 7 airbags and Traction Control.

"The Mercedes GLC comes across as better package overall and does what a Merc is supposed to.

It looks good, is comfortable, spacious, very refined and there are plenty of features on offer. It is also the player in its segment to be offered with a petrol engine.

Overall, the GLC has what it takes to give sleepless nights to its rivals."

Powered by