Top Mercs for stunning GLC

KING OF THE ROAD: The GLC has beauty as well as brawn

The German hard`s mid-range 4×4 was a main rival for the likes of the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 and built from 2008.

Despite 650,000 worldwide sales tho’, the GLK never went on sale in the UK.

It was never produced for right-hand markets and therefore Mercedes missed out on a market that has boomed in latest years.

Not that it`s about to make the same mistake twice mind you.

This fresh GLC, the GLK`s replacement, will arrive in showrooms this autumn and is all set to meet those premium rivals head-on, as well as the likes of the Lexus NX and massively popular Range Rover Evoque.

In fairness British drivers didn`t miss much on the original GLK.

For all of its sales success the truth was it wasn`t on a par with Mercedes`s current range and was rather spartan when it came to interior space.

This fresh GLC, however, is longer, broader and taller so at least addresses those past faults.

It is also a darned look better looking.

While the fresh larger GLE might look a little ungainly from some angles, we rather like the look of this GLC, particularly the front end.

That`s just as well when you`ve got rivals like the stunning Evoque. But come mid-2016 there will also be a sleeker coupe version of the GLC to counter the BMW X4.

The GLC range is pretty sleek, too, with just the two turbo-diesel models on suggest at the car`s launch.

Both are fitted with a Two.2-litre turbo-diesel engine with either 170bhp or 204bhp in the 220d or 250d models respectively.

Both boast 129g/km emissions and 56.5mpg average fuel economy while the 250d is capable of the zero to 60mph sprint in 7.6 seconds and on to a 138mph top speed.

Each also gets a fresh nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard plus four-wheel drive with no manual or, perhaps unusually, two-wheel drive models planned.

Mercedes is keeping predictably tight-lipped about future engines joining the line-up but a plug-in hybrid – using an uprated version of the Two.0-litre petrol engine and electrified motor combination found in the C-Class saloon hybrid – will arrive late next year boasting 60g/km emissions and 108.6mpg fuel economy.

As well as a 20-mile electrified only range the hybrid will also feature Mercedes`s intelligent hybrid management system, enabling it to read the road ahead and use its electrical power most efficiently according to your route.

Slick Rail: Mercedes’ convenient fresh cruiser

There`s also the potential for a 45AMG super-sports version too.

Not that the current pair of turbo-diesels are exactly brief straws, mind you.

On the road both are slick enough and well matched to the fresh nine-speed gearbox, the higher-powered 250d model especially so.

With lots of grunt under your right foot it is effortless to drive slickly as well and is a very comfy cruiser.

Its excellent levels of refinement, lack of wind and road noise and good rail quality make it effortless to recommend too, even if the 220d version does seem to suffer more engine noise from the road than its more powerful counterpart.

An air suspension system that can be switched inbetween standard and sportier modes as well as an Eco mode suggests that it might be sportier than most, while also altering the sensitivity of the steering and gear-change modes.

However the reality is that while the GLC creditably resists any excessive figure roll through corners and treats well, it`s not perhaps the most dynamic car in its class.

Yes it can be threaded down a twisty B road at a decent tempo but you`re unlikely to be wearing as broad a smirk as in some of its competition, most notably the likes of the Porsche Macan.

Then again that same Macan doesn`t have the same kind of off-road capability as this GLC.

That might be a moot point at this level but an optional £495 off-road pack gives the GLC a surprising level of off-roading capability only matched by the Evoque.

Many potential owners might not want or need it but for those towing pony boxes or caravans out of muddy fields (there`s a Two.5-ton towing capacity incidentally) it will be a welcome addition.

The same goes for the GLC`s interior.

CRUISE CONTROL: The GLC’s luxurious dashboard

With every fresh generation of its latest cars Mercedes seems to be making yam-sized step switches with its interiors and this GLC is no different.

From excellent high-quality materials, well laid out and plain controls and immaculate build quality it is hard to fault.

A few years ago these kind of levels would been awesome on an S-Class luxury saloon but they can now be liked at this level, which is telling something.

We especially like the matt finish wood trim which looks truly upmarket.

The good news is that it also works on a more practical level.

Those expanded exterior dimensions are reflected on the inwards with good head and legroom for those in the back seats, even if it`s a little cosy for width for three adults.

Plus there`s a decent sized boot with five hundred fifty litres of space (1,600 with the rear seats down).

With an electrical tailgate, reversing camera, DAB digital radio, keyless Go and privacy glass all as standard even on the SE entry-level car, there`s slew to recommend the GLC.

Mercedes has already proclaimed two thousand fifteen to be its «year of the SUV» with a refreshed GLE, G-Wagen and fresh GLS on its way as well as this GLC.

With one look at its figures it`s hard not to agree, sales of its G models were up by more than thirty per cent in the very first three months of this year.

If all its future G models are going to be as good as this fresh GLC, those figures are only likely to proceed going in the same direction.

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