Test drive with the Mercedes GLC 250 d 4Matic Coupe

With the GLC Coupe, Mercedes-Benz is throwing arrows at the BMW X4 and at the Porsche Macan, as it is obviously in the sportiest corner compared to the GLC SUV that it derives from. Test drive with the Mercedes GLC 250 d 4Matic Coupe.

Why would you buy a GLC Coupe instead of a GLC? So far, this option meant, at least when it came to the BMW rivals, a more emphasized sporty character, but reduced space for a bigger price.

Mercedes-Benz though shifted the formula a bit, keeping the upper high-price positioning, imprinted the GLC Coupe with a sportier nature, yet providing a similar space offer.

How was that even possible? Just like in the GLE Coupe, the roof does not descend so steeply towards the back, but it is more vaulted and the rear window is not as sloping as in the X4/X6. The outcome: the headroom for the rear seats is decent and the passengers sit in a relaxed position, with their knees bent optimally, as the rear bench is not as low as in the X4.

There is though a tiny minus when it comes to the boot volume, but the gap is not that significant. The GLC Coupe holds 500 liters (550 liters in the GLC) minimum and with the folded rear seats, it reaches 1,400 liters (1,600 liters in the GLC). But the modularity is identical, as the backrest of the bench features a 40/20/40% split and, by folding it, there is a perfectly plane surface. The rear bench can be folded both by pressing a button inside the trunk or another one located in the inner passage behind the rear wheel. The power boot lid comes standard.

Compared to the GLC, the rear window wiper is missing. Mercedes claims it is not about saving, nor the will to provide better aesthetics, but it was simply unnecessary. The air flow created by the tail wing on the trunk lid removes the rain drops from the rear window. But even with the wiper missing, the visibility is poor in the rear. Pretty and practical is close to impossible, but the Mercedes representatives are aware of the compromise and fitted the GLC Coupe with a reverse camera.

The GLC 250 d 4Matic Coupe test model costs 5,430 Euros more than the GLC powered by the same engine. For this much money, you get a sexier and also a sportier car.

Apart from the GLC, the GLC Coupe standardly features a sports suspension. Then the steering has got a shorter ratio of 15,1:1, compared with the 16,1:1 of the GLC. Besides, our test car was fitted with the AMG Exterior and Interior Package, that brings sports seats and 19-inch AMG wheels with mixed tyres of 235/55 R19 at the front and 255/50 R19 at the rear. The adaptive driving train Dynamic Select is standard and enables the 5-mode adjustment: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. These allow the  change of the steering, gearbox and even suspension response, if one of the two optional suspensions is ordered: Dynamic Body Control (1,130 Euros, with steel springs and adaptive dampers) or Air Body Control (2,261 Euros, pneumatic suspension).

When driving, the GLC 250 d 4Matic Coupe obviously feels sharper in the Sport mode than the GLC. The rigid AMG sports suspension generated a very small body roll, but without ruining comfort. This is the great worth of the GLC 250 d 4Matic Coupe: the exquisite driving comfort combined with a sporty character well highlighted by the sharp steering and moderate weight. Just like in the GLC and the C-Class, the GLC Coupe is based on the MRA platform, featuring a body that makes plenty of use of light materials and high-strength steel. The 4-wheel drive features a sporty distribution, mainly directed to the rear (45/55% front/rear). Pushed to the limit, the GLC Coupe is naturally understeering, but the effect is downsized in just a few milliseconds, by the torque distribution to the rear.

The 2.1-liter 204 HP biturbo diesel engine seems quieter than its sibling with the same capacity and 170 HP and pulls well in low revs. The 500 Nm torque (100 Nm more than the one with 170 HP) is available starting 1,600 rpm and the all-new 9-speed 9G-Tronic gearbox is smoother and more determined in shifting, but also quicker. It is more efficient also, as it features a longer ratio and, at 130 km/h in the ninth gear, the engine purrs at just 1,500 rpm. The 5 l/100 km fuel consumption though is much too optimistic. We achieved a figure of 7.6 l/100 km, quite worthy though for a 4-wheel drive SUV with an automatic gearbox and a kerbweight of 1,856 kg.

At the moment of the test, only the tested variant, the GLC 220 d 4Matic diesel and the GLC 250 4Matic petrol models were available. Starting December, the GLC 300 4 Matic (245 HP), there will also be the GLC 200 d with a rear-wheel drive (136 HP), together with the hot versions – GLC 350 d 4Matic (258 HP) and the AMG GLC 43 4Matic (367 HP), rivalling the BMW X4 M40i/xDrive 30d and Porsche Macan Diesel and S.