Here is the new Mercedes GLC preview on the day of its presentation, an event that introduces the third generation of one of the most successful SUVs of the German house and that brings to Italy one of the first models borrowed from Germany to let us discover the interior, design and technology.
The history of Mercedes GLC was born in 2007 with Mercedes GLK, the first ancestor of the current model that took this name in 2015 when the Germans changed the name of the SUVs in the range. A total of 2.6 million units were sold.
The aesthetics are updated, the new wheels arrive with sizes from 18″ to 20″ and, starting from the AMG Line version, the wheel arches are available in body color. There is also the classic Night package and several customization options, including animation for the new lights at the rear.
The platform is the MRA2, the dimensions grow compared to the previous model: it is noticeable in the space in the passenger compartment, but also in the trunk now 600 liters (50 liters more than the previous one) with a 40:20:40 folding sofa (electrically unlockable). Access to the load compartment is via an electric tailgate as standard.
The aesthetics do not distort the lines that have been part of the success of this model, although some contaminations with stylistic traits taken from the EQ range are evident.
ENGINES: 48V HYBRIDS AND PLUG-INS ONLY
It is not only the look that has been borrowed from the EQ range, but also the electric technology. All 2022 Mercedes GLC will be hybrid, with a choice of 48 V petrol or diesel mild hybrids or plug-in hybrids (petrol or diesel).
On lightweight hybrids, the ISG is an integrated 23 hp alternator-starter that supports the heat engine in the start-up and transient phases (acceleration, recovery), as well as managing the sailing mode.
The GLC mild-hybrid petrol (M 254 mounted on GLC 200 4MATIC and GLC 300 4MATIC) use a 2-liter four-cylinder in power cuts of 150 kW (204 hp and 320 Nm) or 190 kW (258 hp, 400 Nm) to which are added the 17 kW and 200 Nm of the ISG.
The mild-hybrid diesel version (OM 654 M on the GLC 220 d 4MATIC), on the other hand, reaches 195 kW of power (197 hp and 440 Nm), with the usual support of 17 kW/200 Nm of the electric motor.
In addition to the four 48 V hybrid versions there will also be three plug-in hybrid GLCs that will all promise more than 100 km of electric range (WLTP cycle) with a recharge, driven by the 100 kW electric motor that can also take advantage of all-wheel drive. The battery used is the largest of the German PHEVs, the 31.2 kWh model of the GLE 350 de.
GLC 300 and 4MATIC and GLC 400 and 4MATIC are the petrol plug-ins that reach, overall, a power of 230 kW (313 hp, 550 Nm of torque) and 280 kW (381 hp, 650 Nm of torque). GLE 300 de 4MATIC is the diesel plug-in, also with a four-cylinder and capable of delivering a total of 245 kW (335 hp, 750 Nm of maximum torque).
All GLC PHEVs reach a top speed of 140 km/h in electric mode.
The new GLC 2022 are, of course, proposed as standard with the 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission and the 4MATIC all-wheel drive that works, on plug-ins, also in electric mode.
The GLC PHEV are recharged in alternating current (AC) at 11 kW three-phase with the charger proposed as standard. Choosing among the options, however, you can have support for direct current charging that allows you to use the CCS Combo2 for DC fast charging at 60 kW (30 minutes). The battery pack is equipped with a thermal and air-conditioned management system while the driving modes are Battery Hold (keeps the battery charge and travels in hybrid mode) and Electric which uses only the electric motor, in addition to the traditional Hybrid.
MECHANICS
In terms of mechanics, the novelties start from the four-arm front flanked by the multilink rear. In addition, the rear axle steering (optional) up to 4.5° also debuts
How do the rear steering wheels work on GLC? At speeds below 60 km/h the rear wheels steer in counterphase with respect to the front ones, creating a shortened virtual wheelbase that improves agility in the city and in maneuvers, reaching a turning diameter of 10.9 meters. Above 60 km/h the rear follow what the front does, improving stability in fast corners or in rapid lane differences, as well as having an effect on the steering wheel for which, in the most dynamic extra-urban, it becomes necessary to impress a lower steering angle, gaining in terms of more direct reactions.
TECHNOLOGY
The technology of Mercedes GLC is updated to conform with the latest proposals of the German manufacturer. The infotainment is 11.9″, the instrumentation is digital and customizable, shown on a 12.3″ high-resolution screen, and the color head-up display is also available. The heart is represented by MBUX, the connected system, upgradable OTA (over-the-air, updates downloadable via integrated SIM).
Hey Mercedes is the voice assistant that has proven to be among the best in the automotive world, managing to recognize even natural language and interact both with the functions of the car, and with the outside world through integration with home automation.
How does the Mercedes Smart Home work? On the new GLC, MBUX communicates with home automation and smart devices in our home. Bosch Smart Home and Samsung SmartThings will be supported at launch, while with OTA updates will come additional protocols to control smart lights, thermostats in the house, automatic shutters, sensors, gates and so on.
MBUX then updates by introducing NewsFlash, a free function that allows you to receive the latest news by selecting your favorite topics and asking the system to read them for us.
ADAS LEVEL 2+
In terms of ADAS, the devices for active safety, Mercedes is now able to offer a semi-autonomous level 2+ driving that is unrivaled. The adaptive cruise control system, called DISTRONIC, is among the best and today it is much more progressive in slowing down the car when a vehicle is in front of it, avoiding sudden braking and perceiving spaces better. The system that centers the car in the lane is also very precise, it handles construction site situations and the steering opposes less resistance when it understands that we are changing lanes intentionally, while forgetting to put the arrow.
Compared to the old GLC, the new model has a DISTRONIC that is able to fully brake the car when we find a vehicle stationary in our lane if our speed is 100 km / h (before it was able to do it up to a maximum of 60 km / h). This does not mean that the car does not handle higher speeds, but in those cases it activates the anti-collision and begins to slow down, asking for help from the driver to complete the emergency braking.
The steering centers the car in the lane (on the highway) up to 210 km / h: now even the 360 ° cameras take care of recognizing the roadway lines and allow the computer to have a greater perception when you are in column traffic or in extra-urban roads. Automatic parking and the “transparent hood” that facilitates maneuvers, even in off-road mode, are also available.
How does the transparent hood work? In off-road mode, the display shows, through the cameras, the view under the car, allowing you to see the front wheels and how they are steering. It works below 8 km/h showing the lower view to better perceive the holes for example, while from 8 to 20 km/h the front view is displayed.
RELEASE DATE AND FITTINGS
The Mercedes GLC 2022 range changes, and the car offers most functional accessories as standard. If, before, the catalog of options was in fact more voluminous, today those same accessories are included, so as to choose the version and find almost all the technologies that you would expect from a car in the luxury segment, limiting the options mainly to the aesthetic part that continues to offer many customizations.
GLC AVANTGARDE now also includes the two displays, smartphone integration, wireless charging and heated front seats as standard.
You can buy separately the panoramic glass roof, the head-up display, the fingerprint reader, steering rear wheels, Digital Light (the lights that project safety or danger signals on the road) and the comfort package such as Energizing Plus (massage, seat handling, aromatherapy, chromotherapy and so on).
Mercedes GLC will be available in autumn 2022, prices will be communicated later with the arrival of the official price lists scheduled for June 15 with the launch engines.
