Mercedes-Benz is preparing to unveil the next-generation GLC-Class. The two-row SUV is the most popular model from Mercedes, and today we get a taste of the look as well as a lot of details about the car.
The pictures speak for themselves, above. You can see the GLC dressed in fairly concealing camouflage, but this already gives us a rather handsome crossover shape. The real value in the news from Mercedes today is all the mechanical details and features it has revealed alongside the pictures of extreme winter testing.
Mercedes tells us that the base engine is an updated 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a newly added starter alternator integrated into the transmission to match the car’s new 48-volt electrical system. This makes it a mild hybrid, as the starter alternator offers off-the-line assistance in the form of 23 horsepower and 147 pound-feet of torque. The engine itself makes the same 255 horsepower as before, but torque is increased to 295 pound-feet, an increase of 22.
We also expect two plug-in hybrid options for the next-gen GLC in North America, one intended as a green, economical choice and the other as a fire-breathing AMG variant. Assuming the GLC follows the same course as the C-Class sedan, we’ll eventually see a very high-power four-cylinder combined with a powerful electric boost in the top-shelf AMG model.
In addition to the powertrain specifications, Mercedes also provided information about what kind of technology we will find in the new GLC. The infotainment system is the latest MBUX software and is played on an 11.9-inch central display. You also get a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and both screens are standard equipment. Mercedes’ next-gen steering wheel seen on all of its new models will also appear on the GLC. It brings touch panels on the steering wheel for controls, which is a recent Mercedes innovation that we’re not quite fond of.
An off-road driving mode can be selected and here’s a new “transparent hood” option that uses cameras to show a real-time view of the ground beneath the front of the car. If anyone goes off-road with a GLC, this would be a useful feature, although we highly doubt many use their GLCs on the trails. Another cool and standout feature is a new Digital Light option that allows for “customizable Coming Home / Leaving Home animation”. We’re not quite sure what this will look like, but we’re very curious.
The latest details released by Mercedes today relate to the driver assistance systems in the new GLC. Newly, the adaptive cruise control feature is able to detect stationary vehicles on the road when you’re driving at speeds up to 60 mph (previously it was just 60 mph). The Active Steering Assist can detect extra lanes around you, and Mercedes says it has improved the system’s performance on twisty country roads, in addition to improvements to the centering system on highways. The Traffic Sign Assistant is able to detect you and warn you about driving through stop signs or red lights. And finally, improved parking sensors should make maneuvering at low speeds better with the new GLC.
Mercedes ends its tech info drop by telling us we’ll be seeing this generation of the GLC before 2023. That would mean a full unveiling of the SUV is definitely coming this year.
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