Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 2016 Long-term Review - 3

Mercedes-Benz GLC 250
Long-Term Test (Update 3)

If you’re in the market for a mid-size, luxury SUV, then the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 ticks lots of boxes. Well-finished with a modern interior and plenty of user-friendly technology, the GLC is a great all-around package.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC is more than fashionably late to the medium luxury SUV party which has been dominated for a number of years by German rivals BMW and Audi. You’d be wrong to dismiss it as a me-too entry, however, as the GLC lifts the bar, leapfrogging the established competition and staking a credible claim to best-in-segment.

Featuring a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, paired with nine-speed automatic transmission, our GLC 250 long-termer delivers 155kW/350Nm. Sound deadening in the engine bay, isolates much of the engine noise and contributes to delivering a refined in-cabin experience.

Transmission changes are swift, and the engine has plenty of go on country roads, or stop-and-go in the city, where the idle-stop function comes into play. Fuel economy for my week was around 9.9L/100km of mixed driving, however, a 70km freeway and city run elicited economy of 7.9L.

At a glance, the GLC 250 test vehicle appears stylishly-confident, yet there’s nothing particularly stand out about the exterior design. The non-metallic white paintwork says middle-of-the-road and it slots in so readily to Mercedes’ existing line up of SUVs that it’s hard to pick it as an all-new vehicle.

It looks like a classy car that’s always been there.

In fact, on first impressions, it’s just a pretty safe choice of SUV wearing the badge-du-jour.

Open any one of the five doors on the GLC 250 and it’s a different story. The cabin greets you with a full leather interior with high end dash and centre console. It’s remarkably well finished with a modern combination of wood effect and brushed metal that elevates its interior from the competition. Seat comfort in the front is excellent, with supportive bolsters for driver and passenger.

In the rear, the story continues with good accommodation for second row guests. On a number of occasions, we needed to transport three adults in the rear and with plenty of leg and head room on offer, it wasn’t too much of a squeeze.

Behind the wheel, the GLC has the feel of a professional cockpit, the optional COMAND system with large 8.4-inch colour screen and touchpad giving a clear indication that technology is the focus in this SUV.

Having spent some time in high end Mercedes-AMG models in recent months, I was surprised to see a similar level of driving assistance technology is available in this family vehicle, at half the price.

The GLC 250 comes standard with Mercedes-Benz’ impressive Driver Assistance Package Plus. It features a suite of active safety features that give the sensation that the driver and car are cocooned within the flow of traffic.

Adaptive cruise control allows the driver to set a cruising speed, like a regular cruise control but it maintains a safe distance from the vehicle in front, slowing down and speeding up where necessary.

While driving, you need to stay focused on what the car is doing as it will slow right down if the vehicle in front is not travelling at speed and on more than one occasion, I found myself slowed behind a sluggish driver when I could have overtaken to stay at the set cruising speed.

Active lane-keeping assist is like a Mercedes-Benz guardian angel and while other drivers may find it obtrusive and switch the function off, I love the reassurance it gives when you’re on the road. Cameras monitor line markings in the road and if they sense you’re travelling around a bend, you’ll feel a slight input through the steering to guide you as you corner.

Of course you can drive perfectly well without this technology, but its inclusion contributes to the feeling that the GLC has a virtual force field surrounding it.

Add active blind-spot assist, which can provide input if the car is close to collision with vehicles in other lanes and you feel inherently safer in the GLC than in many other similar sized SUVs.

The technology continues with one of the best 360-degree cameras available on any vehicle at any price point. This allows you to see all-round vision in parking manoeuvres and is enhanced with a front facing camera to avoid nasty kerb scrapes or nose-in love-taps.

While the COMAND audio visual system is a $2990 option, it is well worth adding to your extras list as it upgrades the satellite navigation to a HDD system with voice input. The system also features Mercedes-Benz’ intuitive touchpad and dial interface and if you don’t want to use the voice input, then the dial is a very easy way of entering destinations – probably the best available today. It also upgrades the audio to a 13-speaker Burmester system with surround sound, and adds WLAN with internet access for connected devices.

Our long-term test vehicle also featured a vision package comprising head up display and sunroof with slide and tilt functionality. With our proximity to the sun, I’m yet to be convinced on sunroofs for Australian cars, but the head up display is pretty handy. As it can only be supplied as part of the $3990 vision package however, it is an expensive addition if you want to add it to your own GLC.

For a tech-laden SUV, the GLC 250 is well priced, at $67,900 plus options which include the $2990 COMAND system and $3990 vision pack including head up display and sunroof. It’s the kind of vehicle that you look forward to driving and it’s something which is incredibly easy to live with, making it easy to recommend.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 pricing and specifications:
Price: $74,880 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 155kW/350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 168g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Related reading:
Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 Long-Term Test (Introduction)
Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 Long-Term Test (Update 1)
Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 Long-Term Test (Update 2)
Medium Prestige SUV Comparison
Medium Prestige SUV Comparison (Video)