Yahoo Autos 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Review: Luxurious, practical, surprisingly athletic
Pros: Surprisingly sharp handling; luxurious materials and lighting; better-than-average cargo space; smooth and powerful engine
Cons: Busy ride; annoying touch controls; tight front seating; no plug-in hybrid
The Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class was a wildly impressive compact SUV when it was first introduced, and continued to be a class leader throughout its first generation on the strength of its refined driving experience and lovely interior. The second-generation GLC, introduced last year for the SUV and this year for the Coupe model, largely carries on where its not-terribly-different predecessor left off. Really, the key upgrade is a much larger and more useful cargo area along with the latest Benz infotainment tech.
The trouble with the GLC is simply that competitors have managed to catch up with it, while it’s taken only small steps to move the game forward. The generation has also picked up some bad habits in the form of annoying touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel and a ride that’s surprisingly busy and, quite frankly, too sporty for the expectations of most shoppers in this segment. Yes, its handling is terrific, but how many would-be GLC 300 buyers intend to routinely attack a mountain road?
Now, if you do, this year’s re-introduced, second-generation GLC AMG models should be just what you’re looking for. We haven’t had a chance to test them yet, but the GLC 63 S E Performance in particular sounds absolutely bonkers with its hybrid-juiced turbo-four putting out 671 horsepower and 752 lb-ft of torque. To say that’ll stand out in the segment is an understatement. And while the volume-selling GLC 300 may not stand out as it once did, with the Genesis GV60 and Volvo XC60 being among our other favorites, it’s still a top performer and worth checking out.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy
What it's like to drive | Pricing & Trim Levels | Crash Ratings & Safety Features
What's new for 2024?
After being completely redesigned last year, the GLC 300 SUV carries over unchanged. The GLC Coupe, however, gets its redesign this year and it not surprisingly gets its SUV sibling’s many changes along with its own signature body style. You can read about it here in our 2024 GLC Coupe first drive review. Both body styles also get a new AMG GLC 43 high-performance variant, while the SUV gets a range-topping GLC 63 S E Performance. The Coupe’s version of that arrives next year.
What are the GLC interior and in-car technology like?
Step into the GLC and you'll be immediately impressed by how much it takes from high-end Mercedes models such as the S-Class. The 11.9-inch touchscreen in particular is eye-catching thanks to its crisp, vibrant graphics. It's matched by a 12.3-inch instrument screen with similarly elaborate visuals and a selection of designs. The rest of the dash and interior are covered in high-end materials such as real wood and metal. Customizable 64-color ambient lighting keeps things looking exciting even when it's dark (and trust us, kids love it).
That big screen is quite responsive, at least after it fully boots, which as we discovered in one test vehicle, may take a few moments after hitting the start button. Whether you use the "Zero Layer" mode or the older style with a row of menu icons, most basic functions are fairly easy to access. Menus can get a little deep, though. The instrument screen is highly customizable, too, and the available augmented reality video feed for navigation is trick as it superimposes arrows and other directions onto a live video feed of the road ahead. Just think twice about wearing polarized sunglasses — they significantly reduce the head-up display's legibility.
What's not so trick are the extensive use of touch-sensitive button banks. They're on the doors, steering wheel and along the bottom of the infotainment screen. They're imprecise and cheap feeling. The steering wheel controls are particularly frustrating, since you'll be interacting with them frequently. It's a shame, too, as Mercedes previously had much more premium-looking and richer-feeling traditional switches and buttons for these uses.
How big is the GLC?
The GLC may look awfully similar to the preview generation, but it actually got larger in an appreciable way. An extra 2.5 inches added to the rear end added a corresponding amount of cargo space. With all the seats down, it has 59.3 cubic feet. With the rear seats raised, the specs say it has 21.9 cubic-feet, which is more than before, but we suspect Mercedes uses a different measurement technique than other manufacturers because the space itself seems larger than that – much like its predecessors' cargo area did. In our luggage test of the current GLC, we found that it could easily hold a whole extra suitcase compared to the last generation. The GLC now has one of the larger cargo areas among compact luxury SUVs and even includes a spare tire, which is a rarity in the segment. As for the Coupe, we have not cargo tested that, but it measures 19.2 cubic-feet. It's hard to know how that difference will play in terms of space for actual stuff, though, considering the very different cargo area shape.
Mercedes also claims improved passenger space, but not enough in the area that counts the most: the front. Knee room is seriously tight with the center stack and transmission tunnel taking up all the available space right of the gas pedal. The power-adjustable wheel has limited movement, which exacerbates things. Head and shoulder room are adequate. The seats are sufficiently supportive and have solid adjustment.
The rear seats are actually much more welcoming than the front seats. They're shaped comfortably enough, if a bit firm. Overall space is only so-so — you'll find more in a Volvo XC60, Acura RDX and just about any non-luxury compact SUV. A lack of seat recline is also disappointing considering its ubiquity on more mainstream compact SUVs. It's not alone in that omission within the luxury segment, but that's not an excuse. Headroom is abundant in the SUV, and although definitely reduced in the Coupe with smaller windows to look out of, it's not as cramped as we feared.
Above pictures: GLC SUV back seat (with child seat), GLC Coupe back seat (no child seat), GLC SUV cargo area (more bags), GLC Coupe cargo area (the last photo not yet described)
