New Mercedes-Benz GLC officially goes on sale in South Africa – What’s available

The new Mercedes-Benz GLC has officially gone on sale in South Africa at a starting price of R1,211,220.

At launch, the Mercedes is offered in 220d 4Matic, 300d 4Matic, and 300 4Matic guises, all in either Avantgarde or AMG Line trim levels.

What’s new

The most notable change to the new GLC is the redesigned front end with sharper headlamps that now connect directly to the grille to emphasize the SUV’s width, and two-section taillamps with a “three-dimensional” look.

The Avantgarde spec now sees the Chrome package as standard bringing a chrome grille with matte grey louvres, chrome window surrounds, and a “chrome-look” under guard and tailpipes, as well as black wheel arch liners, 18-inch wheels, and LED High Performance lights.

The AMG Line boasts a sportier appeal thanks to a star-pattern grille, the AMG front apron and air intakes, a diffuser-look rear apron with integrated tailpipe trims, 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels, and fewer chrome detailing.

Visual upgrades inside the cabin take the form of a two-section dashboard with a “wing-like” profile, new “flattened round” climate vent nozzles, and redesigned seats with head restraints connected directly to the backrests.

In the centre of the front fascia now sits an 11.9-inch infotainment system with smartphone mirroring that is slightly angled towards the driver, which themselves get a 12.3-inch “floating” instrument cluster.

Moreover, buyers can expect wireless charging, a reverse camera, electronically-adjustable and heated front seats, Artico leather upholstery, a multifunction steering wheel with paddle shifters, cruise control, keyless entry and start, blind-spot monitoring, dual-zone climate control, and an automatic tailgate.

The new GLC is also 60mm longer than its predecessor, resulting in a 70-litre jump in boot capacity to 620 litres.

Mild-hybrid across the range

The new GLC is offered in one 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and two 2.0-litre turbo-diesel options, each one now paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system.

The outputs and fuel consumption for the powertrains are as follows:

220d – 145kW/440Nm, 5.2-5.9l/100km
300d – 198kW/550Nm, 5.5-6.1l/100km
300 – 190kW/400Nm, 7.3-8.2l/100km

All engines are hooked up to a nine-speed automatic transmission turning all four wheels, and thanks to the new electric system, each one has 17kW and 200Nm of Overboost at launch and the ability to “glide” at speed with the petrol engine completely off.

The sportier AMG Line comes with sports suspension as standard, too.

This ensures the 220d sprints to 100km/h in 8.0 seconds and up to a top speed of 219km/h. The 300d then reaches the 100km/h landmark in 6.3 seconds and manages a maximum of 243km/h, and the 300 gets there in 6.2 seconds and goes all the way up to 240km/h.

According to Mercedes, “the new GLC has also been explicitly designed for off-road driving, and is prepared for this use with several new features and systems.”

These systems comprise an Off-Road drive mode, downhill speed regulation, and a new off-road display that shows inclination, gradient, topographical altitude, geo-coordinates, a compass, road speed, engine speed, the current position of the SUV, as well as the steering angle of the front wheels across the two screens on the dash.

Additionally, if the optional 360-degree cameras are fitted, the Mercedes provides a “transparent bonnet” feature that shows a virtual view under the nose of the vehicle; and if the Engineering package is equipped, it gets air suspension that allows for higher ground clearance and longer shock travel.