2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Mercedes-Benz GLC compact crossover is the automaker’s best-selling model here in North America, so the pressure must have been on with this generational redesign to avoid alienating an already-loyal fanbase. Perhaps that’s why Mercedes designers opted to play it pretty safe. The new-for-2023 GLC SUV sported new taillights but otherwise looked quite similar to its first-gen predecessor, and the now-revised GLC Coupe shows a similarly restrained approach.

Door handles have moved down the crossover’s sides, now falling beneath rather than above its defining bodywork crease. The headlights now taper at the outside edges and are narrower and more menacing in appearance overall. The taillights are quite different, connected by a trim piece which stretches across the back, and the layout of the rear end’s design elements has been updated. The trunk kicks down more than it used to, the rear bumper frames it, the reflectors are lower, and there’s less chrome. The two exhaust outlets still sport chrome tips, but they’re no longer grouped together by an additional brightwork frame.

Of course, the Coupe’s principal distinguishing feature remains its steeply sloping profile, with a fastback roof just barely jogging out to form a trunk. The SUV we drove for this review still looks very much like an inflated hatchback, and the grille is still what sets both the GLC AMG Coupe and SUV apart from their GLC 300 counterparts. The non-AMG grille features a segmented chrome crossbar, slimmed down for the new generation, with a pointillist backdrop. Performance models still dispense with the horizontal in favour of vertical bars that put us in mind of a pinstriped baseball uniform.

The GLC’s interior is certainly sumptuous at first glance. There’s far too much going on to take away any impression of scarcity or austerity. Our Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 SUV test car was outfitted with two-tone Sienna Brown and Black leather upholstery, an extra-cost upgrade over the Artico synthetic leather that’s standard even at the AMG level. It also featured the optional wood-and-metal dash treatment, which echoed the grille’s pinstripe effect. And then there were all the screens, buttons, ambient lighting, and vents. Even at this relatively low end of the brand’s pricing spectrum, the GLC is heavy on gadgetry, just as we’ve come to expect from Mercedes. This crossover’s interior is absolutely class-leading if you’re into that sort of thing.

The Mercedes GLC 43 features a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from AMG. It makes 416 horsepower, solidly exceeding the 385 from the prior generation’s twin-turbocharged V6. Though its cylinders are fewer, this new motor is helped along by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) AMG GLC 63 is expected in 2025, but for this year, the 43 tops the GLC range.

And it certainly does outshine the base Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 by quite a bit: That entry-level variant is good for just 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from its tune of the mild-hybrid turbo-four. It must be said that 255 is not actually a low number. There are plenty of similarly sized crossover SUVs with far less power under the hood. It just looks a little lackluster once you know that 416 is an option.

In Canada, 4Matic all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard on all versions of the GLC. Both powertrains use a nine-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, but don’t mistake this for a shared component. The base GLC 300 gets what Mercedes calls the 9G-Tronic, a conventional automatic transmission with a torque converter. The GLC 43, meanwhile, gets what’s known as the AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed, which features a multi-clutch system instead of the torque converter.

This is certainly better for performance driving: It’s capable of faster shifts, like a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) would be, and it can also handle more torque than a DCT could. The downside of this responsiveness is the noticeably rougher shifts. This is one reason that we would not recommend the GLC’s performance models for anyone who’ll be using it primarily as a commuter.

The other reason we don’t recommend the GLC AMG 43 as a daily driver is the performance suspension. We found it to be improved over its predecessors, less uncomfortable while still maintaining the desired taut handling, but it still makes for a firmer ride than we expect most people will want from a luxury crossover. Of course, if you’re an enthusiast who’s planning to take advantage of that standard four-wheel steering and really carve up the corners, you’ll appreciate that this AMG GLC manages a sporty nature even without the V8.

The layout of the GLC’s cabin is distinctly driver-biased, with the centre touchscreen, climate controls, and even the central bank of HVAC vents all angled toward that left front seat. The classic Mercedes door-mounted seat adjusters contribute to a sense that there are buttons everywhere, which is particularly prevalent in AMG models. There, the steering wheel gets an extra horizontal spoke, providing further real estate for additional controls. Both front seats offer heat and memory functions as standard. Front-seat ventilation and heated rear seats are available.

As we reported in 2023, the new GLC SUV offers 620 litres of cargo space in the back, which expands to 1,680 litres when the rear seats are folded down. That those specs are not spectacular is somewhat ameliorated by the convenience of the standard power-folding rear seats and the fact that they do lie flat. The GLC Coupe is, of course, tighter on the inside. It offers just 545 litres of cargo volume with the back seats in place, not much better than some sedans (the Honda Accord’s trunk offers 473 litres of storage). At least the Coupe’s hatchback-like interior configuration allows for 1,490 litres of space when the rear seats are folded down.

The central focus of the GLC’s cockpit is the portrait-oriented, tablet-style touchscreen. Mercedes declined to make it appear flush with the dash or to integrate it into a single display shared with the digital gauge cluster, and we respect the decision.

The 11.9-inch centre screen holds its own with plenty of functionality to justify its place in the spotlight. It runs the automaker’s third-generation MBUX infotainment system, which includes one of the more usable voice command systems we’ve seen. Many automakers laud the practicality and safety of voice control, even going so far as to use that functionality to excuse non-touch-capable screens, but the Mercedes system’s responsiveness actually walks the walk when you’re talking the “Hey Mercedes” talk.

The 2024 GLC also comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Navigation and a 15-speaker Burmester 3D surround sound system are available, as is an off-road dash display with a “Transparent Hood” feature, which shows a camera feed of the ground beneath the engine bay at slow speeds. A head-up display, augmented reality navigation that can show turn-by-turn directions overlaid onto video of the road ahead, and additional USB-C ports can also be added.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), that institution’s highest honour. Its “Acceptable” rating for the standard front crash-prevention system was the only mark against it, and the optional upgraded version did earn the top score of “Good.”

The vehicle tested was a GLC 300 SUV, so that score can be extrapolated to a certain extent, but it is important to note that factors like the Coupe’s sloping roofline and the AMG’s stiffer suspension could impact performance on some tests, if those variants were evaluated. No version of this second-generation GLC has been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as of this writing.

Standard safety features on the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and SUV include active brake assist, attention assist, blind-spot and exit warning assist, adaptive braking technology, adaptive high beams, heated and rain-sensing wipers, and active parking assist, among other features.

Pre-Safe, the automaker’s pre-collision system, is also standard. If it detects that a crash is imminent, it will tighten seatbelts, close the windows and moonroof (if equipped), and re-position the front passenger’s seat to best protect the vehicle’s occupants from impact. The version on the 2024 GLC also emits a “pink noise” sound through the audio system to trigger a response in passengers’ ear canals and help shut out the loud noises that often accompany an accident.

Like many luxury brands, Mercedes makes certain advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) optional that are offered standard in the consumer-grade vehicles that compete in larger pools. Popular active and interventional safety features like adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, active lane-keeping assist, and traffic sign assist cost extra on the GLC 300 or the AMG GLC 43.

In Canada, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV starts at $58,900 in its base GLC 300 4Matic form. Mercedes charges a premium of roughly $4,000 for sportback style, pricing the 2024 GLC Coupe at $63,000. The 2024 AMG GLC 43, meanwhile, is in its own ballpark, with a base MSRP of $79,900 for the SUV or $81,000 for the Coupe. Note these prices do not include destination charges or dealer fees, which are set by individual Mercedes-Benz Canada dealerships.

Though they’re a bit less abundant than their more affordable counterparts, there are still a ton of small luxury SUVs to choose from. Primary rivals for the GLC SUV include the Audi Q5 at $50,465 before fees, the Genesis GV70 at $60,000, the BMW X3 at $56,700, and the Lexus RX at $59,850. This context places the GLC near the higher end of the spectrum, but it’s worth noting the Mercedes entry is not topping out the spread. It also does better on fuel economy than similarly equipped examples of those other models, scoring 9.0 litres per 100 kilometres combined in the GLC 300 SUV and Coupe, 11.2 L/100 km combined for the AMG 43 SUV, and 11.4 L/100 km combined with the AMG 43 Coupe.

Competitors for the more expensive and less practical GLC Coupe are somewhat fewer. If you really want that raked roof in this price range, we’d point to the Infiniti QX55 at $56,975, the Audi Q5 Sportback at $62,265, and the BMW X4 at $60,500. In this form-over-function cohort, the GLC is notably pricier, but a quick glance at the Porsche Cayenne Coupe will make it look quite reasonable.

BMW may have the “ultimate driving machine” trademark, and we could make a spirited argument for the X3’s performance in comparison to the GLC’s. But in many hearts and minds, Mercedes-Benz represents the pinnacle of the automobile. The three-pointed star has long been equated with wealth and success, and Mercedes has done nothing with this new GLC to detract from the standard it had already set at the price point. If the Benz approach to luxury at the C-Class level appeals to you, we see no reason you shouldn’t go for it with the GLC.

Note: Images show a US model.