Midcycle product updates are tricky. Capital is typically limited, so you can’t do much with the sheetmetal or engineering bits. But you need your vehicle to feel current compared to the competition that has come out since you launched the car.
The pressure is even more intense when your vehicle is the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class crossover, which won MotorTrend’s 2017 SUV of the Year.
This time around, it looks like Mercedes nailed it.
While keeping all the things that we lauded back when it hit the market—its elegant design, nimble chassis, perfectly weighted steering, a 2.0-liter turbo-four that feels like a V-6, and the quality of its interior materials—Mercedes also gave the GLS more power, more tech, more off-road capability, and more value.
Under the hood, the GLC 300 gets a new engine family. (For you alphanumeric geeks out there, it was the M274 engine; now it’s the M264.) Output increases smartly to 255 hp (up from 241 hp on the current model) and 273 lb-ft (which stays the same).
A twin-scroll turbo has replaced the single standard turbo before. Yes, that makes for a more expensive unit, but there’s less lag, so responsiveness is better than before, it gets better fuel economy, and it spits out less CO2, said Lars Habeck, manager of powertrain integration for gasoline engines.
Other changes to the engine: The cooling gallery, piston coatings, and ring carrier all are new, the piston rings have a low-friction design, and the piezo injectors have been relocated. Although the transmission has been adapted to the new engine, it remains essentially the same nine-speed automatic.
Does it feel faster? A little bit, though there was really no opportunity for a proper 0–60 or quarter-mile test on the crowded roads around Frankfurt where we drove the new model. Midrange acceleration seems to have a bit more pop. We await the opportunity to properly test the revised engine.
How does it drive? One of the thumbs-down items we called out back in the 2017 SUVOTY was the GLC’s rather busy ride. That feeling is still there, even on the smooth tarmac of the German autobahn. Some might call it a “precise” road feel. Others might find it jittery. Granted, we only drove the optional air suspension–equipped models, so perhaps the steel-springed base model might deliver a more civilized response.
For 4Matic models with the Off-Road package, adjustable ride height can raise the GLC by 50mm (about 2.0 inches) for a total of 245mm (9.6 inches) of ground clearance. With that package, new off-roading software and cameras make the GLC 300 sufficiently capable of overcoming obstacles that would terrify most mall moms and soccer dads.
Be it a sheer slope (up to 71 degrees), deep mud, deeply rutted roads that hang a wheel in the air, or even a river crossing passable only by logs laid in the direction of travel, a solo driver in a GLC can conquer what would have been achievable only in a proper 4×4 vehicle with a spotter a decade or so ago—on summer tires, no less. However, the Off-Road package is available on the SUV shape only, not the GLC Coupe.
(An after-the-fact note: Mercedes later informed us that the off-road suspension we drove was a Dynamic Body Control suspension, which is not the exact offering that we will have for the U.S. market. Americans will get a standard adaptive steel off-road suspension, which adjusts the ride height by up to 20mm/0.8 inch. The Euro version allows for a change in the damping, but the off-road capabilities should be the same for both versions.)
A word or two about headlights: The GLC-Class comes standard with a new multibeam LED system with 84 directional LEDs in each headlights. Each beam is directed by computer, which allows for more usage of high-beam illumination.
When navigating a curve, if an approaching car suddenly appears, the high-beams can stay on except for dimming what the computer recognizes as the ever-changing outline of the approaching car. In Europe, an “ultra beam” system that can reach up to about 650 meters down the road is available. (Sadly, U.S regulations restrict the reach to 380 meters, just less than a quarter mile.) When in Off-Road mode, the headlamps automatically adjust to shine more light downward and to the sides, said Holger Kraiss, manager of GLC project development.
Inside, the look remains much the same, though an upgraded MBUX infotainment system with larger screens is in place. The instrument cluster is now 12.3 inches, and the center screen has grown from 8.0 to 10.0 inches.
The MBUX infotainment system gets the more intuitive touchpad interface we’ve seen in recent new Mercs, plus upgraded user-experience software. That said, the “Hey, Mercedes …” prompt has about as much interactive intelligence (read: frustration) as you have with Siri. Unless the question is really specific about the car itself, Mercedes ain’t the most sparkling conversationalist. At least there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration to bail you out.
What does work really well is the upgraded augmented navigation system. It uses the vehicle’s cameras to provide real-time visual prompts on the center screen to show exactly where you should turn. In crowded urban settings, this can be extremely handy.
The usual Mercedes blend of driver assist systems, most notably the Distronic smart cruise control system, work impeccably. Although we don’t advise driving with your hands off the wheel, a brief test of the system’s capabilities showed it to be comfortable in semi-autonomous mode in stop-and-go traffic on a curving section of the well-lined autobahn.
Other cool features? For those who would try towing, there’s HitchTronic, which uses the rear camera and parking assist to guide the GLC to its trailer—just like a heavy-duty pickup out of Detroit. Wait, what? Not for America, you say? Call MBUSA and demand your HitchTronic!
Designwise, the shape of the LED headlights takes a more progressive look, with more family resemblance with the GLC’s big-brother GLE. Taillights are now full LED; before they were part LED, part halogen.
And yes, the GLC Coupe will return with its sleek, tapered roofline and lessened rear-seat headroom. Everything you read above applies to the Coupe, as well. Both will go on sale this fall.
The Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 and 63 S
This model is largely unchanged. It still has its thunderous 469-hp, 479-lb-ft bi-turbo V-8 (470 hp and 516 lb-ft in GLC 63 S trim). Some equipment levels have been improved, and it also gets the new MBUX infotainment system. A rear locking differential is now standard. So are a “performance” steering wheel and the haptic touchpads for the infotainment interface of the regular GLC.
In the GLC’s 63 S form, Mercedes claims a time of 3.8 seconds from 0 to 62 mph. That also provides the sort of high-end performance that delivered a scalding 7:49.369 lap at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, which makes this the fastest SUV around that track.
Inside, the AMG versions have sportier flair than their mainstream brethren. The front sport seats hold you like a bearhug by the Mountain.
For civilians who want to try their hand at performance driving, the AMG Dynamics system seen in the C 63 comes over to the GLC 63. The existing AMG Dynamics involved steering, damping, transmission, and throttle settings. Now the system includes changeable settings for the electronic differentials, engine mounts, 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, and stability (ESP) programming.
AMG Dynamics also adds a Race mode with submenus for Pro and Master. Master involves entirely turning off electronic stability control; it’s the only mode where that is possible. The one restriction in Race mode is that the driver cannot adjust individual settings for the vehicle—you have to trust AMG on this one, as well you should.
The post 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 and GLC 63 Review: Don’t Mess It Up appeared first on MotorTrend.