2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC Reviews, Pricing & Specs

There’s another common thread among the SUVs listed above. Most of them look “angry.” Contemporary styling trends are dominated by dynamic, forward-thinking design. But there’s something to be said for a more timeless aesthetic—just ask Ralph Lauren. This is the track that Mercedes-Benz has taken for its entire portfolio of vehicles. The brand’s design language is defined by soft curves and rounded edges. It still embodies that modern aggression with the menacing LED headlights. But compared to a Lexus NX, I’m not worried about getting cut by the grille. The long hood and wide grille give the GLC a dramatic stance. In fact, the front area almost presents itself like a raised C-Class or even E-Class sedan. This helps underscore the notion of an SUV with car-like characteristics.

As attractive as the exterior is, the GLC’s cabin is an automotive work of art. The soft lines and curves are carried into the flowing dash. Even the floating centre touchscreen has rounded edges. As a brand, Mercedes is moving towards larger screens and a more minimalist approach. But I’m going to miss this era in Mercedes-Benz cabin design. The German luxury brand proved automotive packaging could elevate to an art form. Simply put, GLC’s interior aesthetic is the bar by which other compact luxury SUV cabins are measured.

The GLC is offered in the conventional SUV format and the crossover “coupe” body style. This is liberal use of the term “coupe,” because a coupe is supposed to have two doors…and be a car. But the state of the auto industry is such that the term can be used to describe an SUV with less cargo space than its conventionally shaped counterpart. At least Audi and BMW have the decency to call their “SUV-coupes” something else. Rant aside, the GLC Coupe does have a sharp look to it, even if it comes at the cost of usable space.

Standard equipment on the entry-level GLC 300 includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and a power liftgate. Inside, the GLC 300 comes equipped with synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and heated front seats. Other standard features include dual-zone climate control, dual USB ports, a fully digital instrument panel, and the MBUX infotainment system.

Our test GLC 300 was a U.S.-spec model equipped with the equivalent of Canada’s Premium Package ($4,500), which includes navigation with live traffic updates and augmented video for turn-by-turn navigation, a 10.2-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, traffic sign assist, a wireless phone charger, and a panoramic sunroof. It also came equipped with the Premium Plus Package ($2,100), the latter incorporating illuminated door sills, a 360-degree camera, a kick-activated power tailgate, and ambient lighting with 64 colours from which to choose.

Moving up to the AMG GLC 43 adds a more potent powertrain, as well as 20-inch wheels, adaptive air suspension, sport seats, and a host of other performance upgrades.

The range-topping AMG GLC 63 has the same upgrades and package offerings as the 43, plus an extra Premium Rear Seat Package ($1,700) that adds heated rear outboard seats, three-zone automatic climate control, and rear side window sunshades.

The GLC 300 comes standard with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 255 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. Power is routed through a nine-speed automatic transmission to 4MATIC all-wheel drive (AWD). (In Canada, a rear-wheel drive (RWD) drivetrain is not offered.)

The GLC comes with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, as well as Dynamic Select with Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ drive modes. Despite having all these performance-enhancing features at our disposal, we seldom felt the need to take advantage of them. Even in the default Comfort mode, the four-cylinder turbo makes plenty of power. It’s not overly sporty, but you’re never wanting for more than what it has on tap. There is the occasional bit of lag from the inline-4 as it pulls away from a stop (and we were constantly deactivating the auto stop-start), but it’s a generally responsive powertrain. The steering feel is soft, but not so light that it feels disconnected. Turn-in is precise and higher-speed turns are executed with confidence. The GLC strikes the perfect balance of refined and responsive.

If this balance isn’t to your liking and you’d prefer something with a bit more power, check out the AMG GLC 43. It comes equipped with a twin-turbocharged V6 sending 385 horsepower to all four wheels. But the real performance comes when you step up to the AMG GLC 63 S with a twin-turbo V8 that makes 503 hp. These vehicles are monsters, accelerating and cornering on a level that’s equal to that of sports cars from only a few years ago.

With the rear seats folded, the conventional GLC 300 provides 1,600 litres of cargo space. Folding up the rear seats drops that figure to 550 litres. The GLC Coupe’s fastback profile cuts those numbers to 1,400 and 500 litres, respectively. The GLC Coupe’s cargo figures are on par with the similarly shaped BMW X4, and both are among the smallest in the class. As for the non-Coupe GLC, it ranks about mid-pack for compact luxury SUVs. The rival BMW X3 is a standout in this regard, boasting 1,775 litres with the rear seats folded.

The driver has plenty of options for storing items and gear. The GLC has a decently sized centre console, although the “barn-door” opening can be more of a pain than a simple lid. The driver and front-passenger doors have very deep pockets that can hold multiple water bottles. The centre cupholders can hide away thanks to a retractable wood panel. In all, the GLC makes very good use of its interior space.

The GLC provides decent rear-seat space as well. There’s no need to slide the rear seats forward to enjoy adequate legroom. There’s plenty of headroom in the SUV, but the Coupe’s low roofline cuts in on headroom. If you haven’t guessed, we’d recommend the SUV over the Coupe in most scenarios.

In Canada, the Premium Package equips the GLC with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience, or “MBUX,” and the infotainment system with the 10.25-inch centre touchscreen, centre console touch controller, and an advanced voice-control system that can understand complex commands. Few buyers will want to skip this upgrade. The screen and touch controller are an evolution of the previous Mercedes COMAND system, but this is far more intuitive. For starters, you get the option of both the touch controller and the touchscreen. Both work with a similar flow-through of the various menus.

The steering wheel features two small touch-sensitive pads. The one on the left side of the wheel allows you to customize the digital instrument panel. The one on the right allows you to navigate the main infotainment screen. There’s certainly a learning curve to all this, but there’s also a logic to it. Once acclimated, it’s all quite seamless.

This infotainment also includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which present well on the touchscreen. The only problem is if you jump between the GLC’s radio and your smartphone’s music apps. When doing this, you have to hit the home button (which is a helpful feature) and swipe over to the radio. There may be quicker shortcuts, but they were not readily apparent. In all, this is a great system, and you may not encounter the aforementioned issue.

To equip the GLC with its best safety tech, such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, dynamic cruise control, and lane departure warning, Canadians need to purchase the $2,700 Intelligent Drive Package. Parking sensors and hands-free parking assist are part of the Premium Plus Package.

We found the parking and proximity sensors to be overly sensitive. When queuing up at a multi-lane intersection with a red light, the system was being triggered by vehicles in the lane to the left or to the right. These false positives were overly distracting, but can be deactivated if desired.

The most efficient version of the GLC is the base GLC 300. It returns fuel consumption figures of 11.3 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 8.5 highway, 10.0 combined. In our week of combined city and highway driving, we observed an average fuel efficiency of 10.0 L/100 km.

If you’re considering the more powerful AMG GLC 43, fuel consumption increases to 13.1 L/100 km city, 9.6 highway, 11.6 combined. Fuel efficiency with the range-topping AMG GLC 63 S falls to 15.7 city, 10.9 highway, 13.5 combined.

Base MSRP for the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC is $49,900 (excluding destination and other fees, which vary by dealership and region). However, few Canadians will purchase one at that price. A GLC equipped similarly to our test unit has an MSRP closer to $70,000. That pricing is in line with similar packaging in rivals like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, but still more than that of the Acura RDX, Lexus NX, and Infiniti QX60 as new vehicles. Even with options, the GLC SUV is still less expensive than the GLC 300 4MATIC Coupe, which starts at $53,900. Moving to the performance variants, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC SUV starts at $65,500 and the coupe version starts at $67,500. The range-topping AMG GLC 63 S 4MATIC+ starts at $96,900.

As mentioned, there are certainly less expensive options than the GLC. Perhaps with the exception of the Volvo XC60, it’s hard to beat the GLC on interior quality. And since that’s where you spend most of your time, it’s a bit of a weighted win for the GLC. And yet, even if the cabin was not a standout, the GLC would still have a ton going for it. The GLC boasts an attractive exterior, terrific technology, and driving dynamics that combine the best of agility and refinement. In some ways, the BMW X3 has the advantage as a new car, but if comfort and aesthetic are higher priorities than performance and cargo space, the GLC is absolutely worth the price of admission.