Mercedes-Benz’s best-selling global model will be overhauled inside and out to go up against the BMW X3.
The new Mercedes-Benz GLC has ditched nearly all its camouflage ahead of a reveal in the coming months, with new spy shots giving a good look at its final design.
The GLC, which will again look to rival the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, will adopt the same fundamentals as its more-than-seven-years-old predecessor, which has established itself as the brand’s best-selling car worldwide with over 270,000 sales in 2021 alone.
But subtle improvements and tweaks across the board have been made with a view to sustaining that momentum. It will be 60mm longer at 4718mm, for example, and adopts a 15mm longer wheelbase, giving more legroom for passengers and greater boot space.
On release, it will be offered with a range of four-cylinder engines boasting mild-hybrid properties. Included are the petrol-powered GLC 200 and GLC 300 as well as the GLC 220d and GLC 300d on the diesel side. Also planned is the GLC 400d – the sole new GLC model to feature a six-cylinder engine.
Further details on Australian engines are yet to be revealed, though Mercedes-Benz there will be a combination of both rear- and four-wheel drive GLC models. There will also be a trio of newly developed plug-in hybrid drivelines available in the petrol-electric GLC 300e and GLC 400e as well as the GLC 300de.
Successors to both the GLC43 and GLC63 from Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance car division are planned for launch in 2023, both running the same four-cylinder petrol engines as those planned for the upcoming C43 and C63, with the more potent tipped to make more than 373kW.
Underneath, the GLC will be closely linked to the C-Class, as it is today, sharing the same MRA (Modular Rear Architecture) platform, which means should come with a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension system as standard. Optional will be an air-sprung set-up.
And Mercedes is aiming to make the GLC the most advanced model in its class. It will help achieve this via a new Drive Pilot function with Level 3 autonomous capability. It’s a similar system to that which made its debut on the latest S-Class.
Will Rimell