2022 Mercedes GLC-Class Makes Spy Video Debut, Looks Like a Crossover

Nobody will admit to loving the GLC, but the sales charts don't lie. Even after the new BMW X3 came out, we still think this is one of the best models in the segment, which suggests the engineers did an excellent job. And now the Benz boys are at it again, developing the second-generation GLC-Class.

This model is codenamed X254 and has just begun its road testing cycle in Stuttgart, the home of all things Daimler. That's where YouTube spy videographer WalkoART captured this first batch of footage, in 4K no less.

We think it looks a lot more like a crossover, which... is what the GLC-Class has always been. In America, the marketing department calls this a Crossover Utility Vehicle or CUV. It's never been designed to climb up mountains, a job Mercedes has covered with the G-Class.

Compared to the current model, the new one is longer and wider. Mercedes hasn't fitted tall suspension, so the top of the new GLC is barely a couple of inches higher than a normal C-Class. The upside is that it should corner like a car instead of a top-heavy boat.

The prototype sounds like it's powered by a 2-liter engine, perhaps even a multi-turbo one. It's widely believed that almost the entire 2022 GLC range will be made up of four-cylinder powertrains, due to a combination of platform limitations and regulations.

Most CUV buyers also opt for four-cylinder turbo setups. This is in line with rival models as well, especially the Volvo XC60. However, the plucky new Genesis brand could completely overturn the hierarchy if its 2.5-liter turbo is as good as they say. The question is: will the GLC still be cool without the GLC 63 flagship AMG model?