Photo: SB-Medien
We have exciting news for you luxury crossover-SUV fans. Mercedes-Benz has just begun work on the all-new GLC-Class in Germany, and the model is looking good.
The GLC-Class is not a true SUV, but we'll never hold that against it. Unlike some of the bigger Benz 4x4s, this one is derived from a regular car platform, namely the one that underpins the C-Class.
That ensures it rides well and is relatively light, at least by the standards of the segment. For comparison, both the Evoque and E-Pace are heavier, despite being about a foot shorter. We expect that connection to the C-Class to continue with this all-new generation, and it also explains why the GLC-Class began testing right as the W206 is entering its final phases of testing.
We expect this all-new crossover utility vehicle (CUV) to have different proportions from its predecessor, though not in any major way. For example, the wheelbase looks a little bit longer, while the stance appears lower. It's common for engineers to use this as a way to lower the aerodynamic profile of a vehicle, thus slightly improving efficiency and handling.
The model should have the internal designation X254 and might receive the lion's share of Mercedes' development money over the next year. That's because this is one of the most popular premium vehicles of any kind in almost all parts of the world.
As far as the timeframe is concerned, most Mercedes models take at least 18 months to develop. So we could have an all-new GLC somewhere between the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. As a reminder, the current model came out in 2015, when it replaced the GLK, and received cosmetic updates in 2019.
We expect most of the powertrains for this new model to be 2-liter ones, not just in America, where we just have the GLC 300 and a couple of AMGs, but also in Europe. Mercedes is expected to integrate better hybrid technology while launching new plug-in hybrid models.
The interior will feel like a revolution, perhaps convincing older customers to do a trade-in. The GLC will basically skip the panoramic screen design that it never received in favor of a new MBUX with a giant tablet placed low on the center console.
That ensures it rides well and is relatively light, at least by the standards of the segment. For comparison, both the Evoque and E-Pace are heavier, despite being about a foot shorter. We expect that connection to the C-Class to continue with this all-new generation, and it also explains why the GLC-Class began testing right as the W206 is entering its final phases of testing.
We expect this all-new crossover utility vehicle (CUV) to have different proportions from its predecessor, though not in any major way. For example, the wheelbase looks a little bit longer, while the stance appears lower. It's common for engineers to use this as a way to lower the aerodynamic profile of a vehicle, thus slightly improving efficiency and handling.
The model should have the internal designation X254 and might receive the lion's share of Mercedes' development money over the next year. That's because this is one of the most popular premium vehicles of any kind in almost all parts of the world.
As far as the timeframe is concerned, most Mercedes models take at least 18 months to develop. So we could have an all-new GLC somewhere between the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. As a reminder, the current model came out in 2015, when it replaced the GLK, and received cosmetic updates in 2019.
We expect most of the powertrains for this new model to be 2-liter ones, not just in America, where we just have the GLC 300 and a couple of AMGs, but also in Europe. Mercedes is expected to integrate better hybrid technology while launching new plug-in hybrid models.
The interior will feel like a revolution, perhaps convincing older customers to do a trade-in. The GLC will basically skip the panoramic screen design that it never received in favor of a new MBUX with a giant tablet placed low on the center console.
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