MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300 FAMILIARITY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP

FAMILIARITY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP

- GEORG KACHER

Model Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Engine 1994cc 4cyl, dohc, 16, turbo + mild hybrid Max power 190kW @ 5800rpm Max torque 400Nm @ 2000-3200rpm Transmission 9-speed automatic Weight 1820kg [estimated] 0-100km/h 6.2sec [claimed] Economy 7.2L/100km (estimated) Price $100,000 (estimated) On sale H1 2023

FOR TWO YEARS in a row, the GLC has been the best-selling Benz. Its replacement is fully hybridised, but there is no EV version in sight. And prices are to increase by 15 percent.

For decades, the global Mercedes hit list was dominated first by the E-Class and then by the C-Class. But not anymore. In the era of the SUV, the GLC is now the most popular starship by a healthy margin, and in its wake demand for the GLA, GLE and GLB is also rising. When a car manufacturer is on to a winner, the last thing management will do is dramatically change the profitable formula of success. That’s why the GLC MkII is not only visually a low-risk project, it also stays true to the long-running MRA platform which excludes a pure zero-emission derivative.

But what about the EQC launched in 2019 which already is in effect an electric GLC? The EQC (due to be phased out when the EQE SUV arrives in Europe mid-2023) uses a one-off mix and-match transformation architecture, so would struggle against rivals on dedicated EV platforms like the 2023 Audi Q6 e-tron and the 2024 BMW iX3.