Colleagues from the German auto motor und sport magazine took part as passengers in the first test drive of the new Mercedes GLC Coupe (C254) in the C300 4Matic version with a 2-liter turbo engine and 258 PS. It will debut in the summer of 2023.
Photo: Youtube capture
The second-generation Mercedes GLC Coupe has a sloping roof that slopes down to an original, different rear end and curved taillights. Behind the tailgate hides a larger trunk volume. Models with conventional engines have a 545-liter trunk and PHEV versions 390 liters, 45 and 90 liters more than the previous generation, respectively.
Unlike the Mercedes GLC, where the PHEV versions were available after a few months, the Mercedes GLC Coupe will be available from the start with all types of propulsion. But customers will have to wait for the AMG versions and the 6-cylinder diesel, which will no longer be called the GLC 400 d.
Peter Kolb, head of the overall testing vehicle for the E-Class, EQC, and GLC, who accompanied the journalists from auto motor und sport magazine, explains that the GLC 300 4Matic Coupe is one of the first examples produced and has already been tested in winter conditions in Sweden.
Even though the interior height in front is slightly lower and the driving position is identical to the SUV, the driver gets the impression of sitting lower. The somewhat more sloping windscreen creates this feeling. Also, the seats in the base version have pronounced side bolstering for standard seats. In the back, you can sit comfortably despite the roof sloping steeper towards the rear, but access is narrower due to the more plunging top, and you have to be careful when getting on board.
Peter Kolb explains that the ride comfort of the version with the standard steel springs has been improved. But this could not be verified because the test car was equipped with adaptive air suspension and integral steering. The adaptive air suspension offers a wide range of adjustments between Comfort and Sport modes.
But unlike the GLC, the engine is just as quiet, and there were expectations for a slightly sportier and more present sound. The Coupe SUV will take over the engine range from the GLC, and technically there are no differences from its SUV sibling. It’s just the perception that you sit lower even though the driving position is the same height.
