The new Mercedes GLC got 5 stars in the Euro NCAP latest session of tests.
The new Mercedes GLC got 95% for adult occupant protection, 89% for child occupant protection, 82% for pedestrian protection and 71% for the quality of safety assist systems.
The passenger compartment of the Mercedes GLC remained stable in the frontal offset barrier test. The car scored maximum points for its protection of the front passenger dummy, with good protection of all critical body areas. Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and passenger. Mercedes-Benz showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sat in different positions. In the frontal full-width rigid barrier test, the front driver scored maximum points, with good protection of all body regions. For the rear passenger, protection of the neck was adequate and that of the chest was marginal, the head and femurs being well protected. The GLC scored maximum points in both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, with good protection of all critical areas of the body. The front seats and head restraints provided good protection against whiplash injury in Euro NCAP’s tests and a geometric assessment of the rear seats indicated the same high level of protection to the occupants of those seats. Autonomous emergency braking is standard on the GLC. Tests showed good performance at the low speeds, typical of city driving, at which many whiplash injuries are caused.
In case of child protection, the GLC scored maximum points for its protection of the 1½ year dummy in the frontal offset and side barrier tests. Protection of the 3 year dummy was also good apart from marginally raised neck tensile forces. In the frontal test, forward movement of the 3 year dummy, sat in a forward-facing restraint, was not excessive. In the side impact, both dummies were properly contained within the protective shells of their restraints, minimising the likelihood of dangerous head contact with parts of the car interior. The GLC has an automatic airbag deactivation system, which switches off the front passenger airbag when a rearward-facing child restraint is used in that seating position but switches it on again when the seat is occupied by a large child or an adult. All of the restraint types for which the GLC is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.
The GLC features an active bonnet. Sensors in the bumper detect when a pedestrian has been struck and actuators lift the bonnet to provide greater clearance between the bonnet surface and the hard structures in the engine compartment. Mercedes-Benz showed that the system worked over a range of speeds and for a variety of pedestrian statures, so the system was tested in the deployed (raised) position. Good or adequate results were recorded over almost the entire bonnet surface, showing a high level of protection to the head of a struck pedestrian. The bumper also offered good or adequate protection to pedestrians’ legs. Only the protection of the pelvis was mixed, with predominantly poor results.
Electronic stability control is standard equipment, together with a seatbelt reminder for the front and rear seats. A driver-set speed limiter is available as an option. It is expected to be sold in sufficient numbers to qualify for assessment by Euro NCAP so its results are included in this rating. A lane departure warning system is an option that is not expected to be sold in high numbers, so this was not included in the rating. The standard-fit autonomous emergency braking system operates over a wide range of speeds. The system performed well in Euro NCAP’s inter-urban tests.
