Merc defines what a luxe SUV should beA LITTLE OF EVERYTHING
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Merc defines what a luxe SUV should be
In what best describes the eureka moment in one’s life is what enraptures me as I drive the GLC 300, the latest SUV boon from Mercedes Benz.
Even though Mercedes-Benz launched the GLC in India in June this year, its first editions were in Completely Built-Up Units (CBU).
In October, the company rolled out its Made-in-India GLC from the Chakan plant, near Pune. If viewed from any angle, the stylish SUV brings in design elements from the C Class series of vehicles, and is also evident in its younger sibling the GLA, and the mammoth older one, the GLE.
While getting into the seat of the GLC 300 petrol variant prior to the spin, I feel its very generous space enough and easy to slip into and get the comfort of driving. The interior is well-designed that its front top dashboard is sleek.
Class interiors
The interior is available in a two-tone setting of brown and peach, is also available in a whole black tone too. The massive sun roof which gives panoramic view of the sky adds to an open airy-ness, even as it depicts superior styling and design, so commonplace with Mercedes-Benz.
The command system of the vehicle is well-designed, even as it has more plastics, but composed of greater features.
The command screen is small though, and provides somewhat fewer features compared with other vehicles in the same class.
The GLC 300’s 7-inch infotainment screen gives out all the information including a 360° view of the SUV. Besides the 20 CD stereo and Garmin-based navigation, the infotainment features include 2 USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity and much more. The GLC is available in both petrol and diesel variants in the price range of Rs 47.90 lakh to Rs 51.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The GLC is launched in three variants that include GLC 220 d 4MATIC Style, GLC 220 d 4MATIC Sport and GLC 300 4MATIC Sport.
While the GLC 220 d 4MATIC Style is priced at Rs 47.90 lakh, the GLC 220 d 4MATIC Sport and the GLC 300 4MATIC Sport are priced at Rs 51.50 lakh and Rs 51.90 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi), respectively. The CBU range of the GLC starts at Rs 50.7 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).
With a stretched wheel base of 2,873 mm, which is 113 mm more than the sedan, the GLC’s wide cabin really brings in the grace with muscle to the SUV.
Its white twin-slant grill with a chrome finished faux skid plate is awesome as it protrudes from the bonnet. The global design language of Mercedes vehicles is very much reflected by the centrally-positioned three-pointed star.
Great power
The GLC 300 petrol uses a 1,991 cc 4-cylinder unit tuned for 245 bhp of power and 370 Nm of torque. The GLC 220d, on the other hand, is powered by a 2,143 cc 4-cylinder diesel motor that produces 170 bhp and 400 Nm of torque.
Both units come paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission with power sent to all four wheels via the 4MATIC all-wheel drive (AWD) system.
Mercedes-Benz, known for its safety features, has made the GLC carry the best-in-class features in the luxury SUV segment.
The vehicle has parking assist, attention assist, adaptive brake lights, tyre pressure monitoring system and even seven airbags. Its multiple driving modes and off-road settings give the vehicle a sturdy control during hill descent.
The 2-litre engine has an energetic note and gives enough and efficient torque kicks which is very nice and low. The GLC 300 comes with a 9-speed auto gear system which is now becoming standard across the new Mercedes-Benz range. The standard 4Matic AWD system transfers all that torque to the four wheels efficiently and quickly.
The interiors of the vehicle is well insulated that the hush-like atmosphere make the driving experience unique. The hushed cabin experience can be well experienced with the 4-cylinder engine taking 0-100 kmph in 7.5 seconds. Lots of work has been done on the acoustic insulation that the engine builds up power in a leaner manner that brings in luxury and comfort in good dozes.
Compared with the other GLCs, the GLC 300 come with 1,602 mm high and 4,732 mm long body, which is 42 mm lower and 80 mm longer than the regular GLC.
The reduction in height gives it a sportier dynamic. The Air Body Control Air Suspension gives the standard dynamic control which will work well in India. The sportier feature of the SUV can be experienced further by its chunky rear skid plate with twin exhausts. The wide space in the back seat gives us a comfortable position than the C-class as it gives more leg and head room. The boot capacity stands at 550 litres, which can be expanded to 1,600 litres with the rear seats folded down.
The vehicle comes with five driving modes including Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. While the comfort mode gives smooth and seamless shifts in the gearbox, the Sport+ mode provides a different thud between shifts when you speed up.
The sides of the vehicle has a cleaner profile with slash under the door handles creating a unique grace. But the coupe-like roof-line on the rear adds flavour, along with a red-like wind screen. The GLC is an all-rounder and will appeal to a wide swathe of luxury SUV buyers. The side profile is enhanced by subtle character lines, aluminium-look running boards with rubber studs, and 18-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels. The rear is muscular — horizontal orientation of the contour lines and the split LED tail-lamps give it a widened stance.
If you open the tail gate, you see the bootspace which is spacious. The rear sports the AMG GT-inspired tail lamps and twin exhausts surrounded by a good amount of chrome. The silhouette though is more estate-like and we’ve already said all of this in our review. It offers a good balance between performance and efficiency.
The seats have an exclusive upholstery layout and contrasting stitching. Both driver and front passenger get four-way lumbar support, and both the front seats come with a memory function — you can record your favourite sitting position, and the next time you take a seat, at the touch of a button the car, will adjust the seat for you. For more comfort, there is a three-zone automatic climate control system. The cabin is spacious, and the large glass area adds to the feeling of space.
The petrol version takes 0-100 kmph in just 6.5 seconds, before touching a top speed of 222 kmph. The diesel goes from 0-100 kmph in a slightly slower 8.3 seconds, and has a top speed of 210 kmph. Both models come with five driving modes — Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. In each mode, parameters such as engine performance, transmission, steering, climate control and the Eco start/stop function are adjusted differently; each mode provides a unique driving experience.
The GLC is also available in an off-road engineering package, in which the body is raised by 20 mm. In this package, there are three driving modes — off-road, incline and slippery. Featuring nine forward gears, this is the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission with hydrodynamic torque converter in the premium segment. The wider gear spread means the GLC can achieve higher speeds at lower engine RPMs, as compared to traditional automatic gearboxes.
The smooth transition of gears gives joy to the ride and you won’t feel the exhaustion. The beauty of the 9G-Tronic is that it is able to skip individual gears, and so multiple downshifts are possible for fast and powerful sprints.
The 9G-Tronic is the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission with hydrodynamic torque converter in the premium segment. Developed independently by Mercedes-Benz, the nine forward gears in the 9G-Tronic allow a larger gear ratio range with even smaller jumps in engine speed between gears.
The oldest luxury car player in India is driving the GLC 300 into a good product portfolio to compete with BMW and Audi. During the end of 2012, Mercedes-Benz India decided to call 2013 as the ‘Year of Offensive’. The company had come up the ‘Year of Excellence’ in 2014, during which, it came up with 10 new models launched in India. ‘Live the Best’ was the company’s driving philosophy in 2015. The current year is called ‘Winning in 2016’, in order to achieve the objective of growing a profitable and sustainable business in India.
Mercedes-Benz also offers service packages as part of the launch. The compact service packages start at Rs 63,000 for the petrol variant, and Rs 78,000 for the diesel variant. These new compact packages are offered with unlimited mileage (a first in the luxury car segment), covering maintenance-related jobs. The stylish and price competitive GLC 300 competes with the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.
Exuding confidence that the Indian market is in its growth phase, Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Roland Folger said that the launch of the GLC marks the company’s Make in India initiative, a milestone in the journey of the German auto giant. “The GLC is the ninth product from Mercedes-Benz to be locally produced after Mercedes-Maybach S500, S-Class, E-Class, C-Class, GLS, GLE, GLC, GLA and CLA. Our local production helps us make our customers the winners by passing on the benefit to them,” he said. The stylish and performance-filled GLC 300 will really conquer the roads of India as the splurging millennials are looking at value for money. Mercedes-Benz’s focus on servicing offers will further enhance it.
Mercedes GLC 300 Petrol
Verdict: The stylish and performance-filled GLC 300 will really conquer the roads of India
Engine 300 4MATIC Sport 1991 cc
Power 245hp@5500rpm
Torque 370Nm@1400-2800rpm
Transmission 9-speed automatic
Mileage 17.9 kmpl
PRICE 51.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)
Even though Mercedes-Benz launched the GLC in India in June this year, its first editions were in Completely Built-Up Units (CBU).
In October, the company rolled out its Made-in-India GLC from the Chakan plant, near Pune. If viewed from any angle, the stylish SUV brings in design elements from the C Class series of vehicles, and is also evident in its younger sibling the GLA, and the mammoth older one, the GLE.
While getting into the seat of the GLC 300 petrol variant prior to the spin, I feel its very generous space enough and easy to slip into and get the comfort of driving. The interior is well-designed that its front top dashboard is sleek.
Class interiors
The interior is available in a two-tone setting of brown and peach, is also available in a whole black tone too. The massive sun roof which gives panoramic view of the sky adds to an open airy-ness, even as it depicts superior styling and design, so commonplace with Mercedes-Benz.
The command system of the vehicle is well-designed, even as it has more plastics, but composed of greater features.
The command screen is small though, and provides somewhat fewer features compared with other vehicles in the same class.
The GLC 300’s 7-inch infotainment screen gives out all the information including a 360° view of the SUV. Besides the 20 CD stereo and Garmin-based navigation, the infotainment features include 2 USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity and much more. The GLC is available in both petrol and diesel variants in the price range of Rs 47.90 lakh to Rs 51.90 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
The GLC is launched in three variants that include GLC 220 d 4MATIC Style, GLC 220 d 4MATIC Sport and GLC 300 4MATIC Sport.
While the GLC 220 d 4MATIC Style is priced at Rs 47.90 lakh, the GLC 220 d 4MATIC Sport and the GLC 300 4MATIC Sport are priced at Rs 51.50 lakh and Rs 51.90 lakh (all prices ex-showroom Delhi), respectively. The CBU range of the GLC starts at Rs 50.7 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).
With a stretched wheel base of 2,873 mm, which is 113 mm more than the sedan, the GLC’s wide cabin really brings in the grace with muscle to the SUV.
Its white twin-slant grill with a chrome finished faux skid plate is awesome as it protrudes from the bonnet. The global design language of Mercedes vehicles is very much reflected by the centrally-positioned three-pointed star.
Great power
The GLC 300 petrol uses a 1,991 cc 4-cylinder unit tuned for 245 bhp of power and 370 Nm of torque. The GLC 220d, on the other hand, is powered by a 2,143 cc 4-cylinder diesel motor that produces 170 bhp and 400 Nm of torque.
Both units come paired to a 9-speed automatic transmission with power sent to all four wheels via the 4MATIC all-wheel drive (AWD) system.
Mercedes-Benz, known for its safety features, has made the GLC carry the best-in-class features in the luxury SUV segment.
The vehicle has parking assist, attention assist, adaptive brake lights, tyre pressure monitoring system and even seven airbags. Its multiple driving modes and off-road settings give the vehicle a sturdy control during hill descent.
The 2-litre engine has an energetic note and gives enough and efficient torque kicks which is very nice and low. The GLC 300 comes with a 9-speed auto gear system which is now becoming standard across the new Mercedes-Benz range. The standard 4Matic AWD system transfers all that torque to the four wheels efficiently and quickly.
The interiors of the vehicle is well insulated that the hush-like atmosphere make the driving experience unique. The hushed cabin experience can be well experienced with the 4-cylinder engine taking 0-100 kmph in 7.5 seconds. Lots of work has been done on the acoustic insulation that the engine builds up power in a leaner manner that brings in luxury and comfort in good dozes.
Compared with the other GLCs, the GLC 300 come with 1,602 mm high and 4,732 mm long body, which is 42 mm lower and 80 mm longer than the regular GLC.
The reduction in height gives it a sportier dynamic. The Air Body Control Air Suspension gives the standard dynamic control which will work well in India. The sportier feature of the SUV can be experienced further by its chunky rear skid plate with twin exhausts. The wide space in the back seat gives us a comfortable position than the C-class as it gives more leg and head room. The boot capacity stands at 550 litres, which can be expanded to 1,600 litres with the rear seats folded down.
The vehicle comes with five driving modes including Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. While the comfort mode gives smooth and seamless shifts in the gearbox, the Sport+ mode provides a different thud between shifts when you speed up.
The sides of the vehicle has a cleaner profile with slash under the door handles creating a unique grace. But the coupe-like roof-line on the rear adds flavour, along with a red-like wind screen. The GLC is an all-rounder and will appeal to a wide swathe of luxury SUV buyers. The side profile is enhanced by subtle character lines, aluminium-look running boards with rubber studs, and 18-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels. The rear is muscular — horizontal orientation of the contour lines and the split LED tail-lamps give it a widened stance.
If you open the tail gate, you see the bootspace which is spacious. The rear sports the AMG GT-inspired tail lamps and twin exhausts surrounded by a good amount of chrome. The silhouette though is more estate-like and we’ve already said all of this in our review. It offers a good balance between performance and efficiency.
The seats have an exclusive upholstery layout and contrasting stitching. Both driver and front passenger get four-way lumbar support, and both the front seats come with a memory function — you can record your favourite sitting position, and the next time you take a seat, at the touch of a button the car, will adjust the seat for you. For more comfort, there is a three-zone automatic climate control system. The cabin is spacious, and the large glass area adds to the feeling of space.
The petrol version takes 0-100 kmph in just 6.5 seconds, before touching a top speed of 222 kmph. The diesel goes from 0-100 kmph in a slightly slower 8.3 seconds, and has a top speed of 210 kmph. Both models come with five driving modes — Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. In each mode, parameters such as engine performance, transmission, steering, climate control and the Eco start/stop function are adjusted differently; each mode provides a unique driving experience.
The GLC is also available in an off-road engineering package, in which the body is raised by 20 mm. In this package, there are three driving modes — off-road, incline and slippery. Featuring nine forward gears, this is the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission with hydrodynamic torque converter in the premium segment. The wider gear spread means the GLC can achieve higher speeds at lower engine RPMs, as compared to traditional automatic gearboxes.
The smooth transition of gears gives joy to the ride and you won’t feel the exhaustion. The beauty of the 9G-Tronic is that it is able to skip individual gears, and so multiple downshifts are possible for fast and powerful sprints.
The 9G-Tronic is the world’s first nine-speed automatic transmission with hydrodynamic torque converter in the premium segment. Developed independently by Mercedes-Benz, the nine forward gears in the 9G-Tronic allow a larger gear ratio range with even smaller jumps in engine speed between gears.
The oldest luxury car player in India is driving the GLC 300 into a good product portfolio to compete with BMW and Audi. During the end of 2012, Mercedes-Benz India decided to call 2013 as the ‘Year of Offensive’. The company had come up the ‘Year of Excellence’ in 2014, during which, it came up with 10 new models launched in India. ‘Live the Best’ was the company’s driving philosophy in 2015. The current year is called ‘Winning in 2016’, in order to achieve the objective of growing a profitable and sustainable business in India.
Mercedes-Benz also offers service packages as part of the launch. The compact service packages start at Rs 63,000 for the petrol variant, and Rs 78,000 for the diesel variant. These new compact packages are offered with unlimited mileage (a first in the luxury car segment), covering maintenance-related jobs. The stylish and price competitive GLC 300 competes with the Audi Q5 and BMW X3.
Exuding confidence that the Indian market is in its growth phase, Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Roland Folger said that the launch of the GLC marks the company’s Make in India initiative, a milestone in the journey of the German auto giant. “The GLC is the ninth product from Mercedes-Benz to be locally produced after Mercedes-Maybach S500, S-Class, E-Class, C-Class, GLS, GLE, GLC, GLA and CLA. Our local production helps us make our customers the winners by passing on the benefit to them,” he said. The stylish and performance-filled GLC 300 will really conquer the roads of India as the splurging millennials are looking at value for money. Mercedes-Benz’s focus on servicing offers will further enhance it.
Mercedes GLC 300 Petrol
Verdict: The stylish and performance-filled GLC 300 will really conquer the roads of India
Engine 300 4MATIC Sport 1991 cc
Power 245hp@5500rpm
Torque 370Nm@1400-2800rpm
Transmission 9-speed automatic
Mileage 17.9 kmpl
PRICE 51.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi)