There’s never been more choice if you’re in the market for an SUV. Mainstream or premium, every car brand on the planet seems to have a new offering.
Even so, it’s taken Mercedes a surprisingly long time to add a car like the GLC to its line-up. The company’s previous rival for the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, the GLK, was never engineered for right-hand drive – so UK buyers wanting a family SUV from the German marque were left disappointed.
There was pent-up demand for the GLC, then. Thankfully, Mercedes delivered, as the GLC made it into our recent list of 2016’s best SUVs. Now we’re going to put one through six months of family life, just to confirm our view that it should be on your shortlist if you’re after a premium 4x4.
Apart from the twin-turbocharged V6 AMG GLC 43, Mercedes only offers the car with diesels in the UK. In fact, the range is basically just one engine – a four-cylinder 2.1-litre unit, available in GLC 220d form with 168bhp, or as a 201bhp GLC 250d. All versions get 4MATIC four-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic gearbox. Luckily, there’s a bit more variety in the trim levels.
Entry-level SE covers most of the basics, with 17-inch wheels, a reversing camera, climate control and a colour infotainment display. Sport spec adds extras like sat-nav, as well as 18-inch alloys and LED headlights.
The peak of the normal range, AMG Line, upgrades to sports suspension and 19-inch wheels. It’s a debatable move on British roads, so we’ve gone for a Sport model.
A GLC 220d 4MATIC Sport costs £37,575 before you’ve ticked a single box. Our car has a few extras, though, including the off-road package, which brings raised suspension, a wider range of driving modes, downhill speed regulation and a sportier front bumper. This is £495, which doesn’t look bad if you think you’re going to get your GLC dirty.
Other options on our car are more pricey; the Premium Plus pack eschews the Garmin-based standard navigation for the brand’s proper COMAND system, and adds a sunroof, keyless go, ambient LED lighting and a Burmester sound system, but is a hefty £2,995. The Driving Assistance pack brings blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control with steering assistance for nearly £1,700. Throw in air suspension (£1,495), metallic paint and a tow bar, and the GLC 220d’s price rises to £45,650.
That sounds expensive – because it is. But if you’re trading in a decent car and buying the GLC on finance, the ‘walk up’ isn’t so bad.
Assuming you’re putting in Mercedes’ representative deposit of £6,557, and opt for a three-year/30,000-mile PCP deal, the monthly price for the added spec will rise from £399 as standard to £586. A £187-per-month hit isn’t manageable for everyone, but if you’re in the market for a car like this, it’s a reasonable price to pay for all those toys.
Early impressions? On the road, the 220d doesn’t feel like it will rip up tree stumps, so it’s easy to see why many buyers will opt for the 250. But it’s refined, with suspension as comfortable as on any recent Mercedes and a premium-feeling cabin. It’ll be interesting to see if it holds up over six months’ family use.
*Insurance quote (below) provided by AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old living in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.
- Model: Mercedes GLC 220d 4MATIC Sport
- On fleet since: August 2016
- Price new: £37,575
- Engine: 2.1-litre 4cyl turbodiesel
- Power: 168bhp
- CO2/tax: 129g/km/£110
- Options: Premium Plus pack (£2,995), Drive Assistance pack (£1,695), Air Body Control air suspension (£1,495), electric tow bar (£750), Selenite grey metallic paint (£645), Off-road pack (£495)
- Insurance*: Group: 29, Quote £813
- Mileage/mpg: 2,002/42.1mpg
- Any problems?: None so far
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