NYIAS: 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe - New Shape for a Newcomer

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Four-door coupe styling has filtered down to a newcomer in the Mercedes-Benz range — the GLC midsize crossover SUV.

For its second year on the market, the GLC will receive the coupe-like styling already endowed on its larger brother, the GLE.

Adopting the new body style adds 3.2 inches in length to the GLC Coupe and lowers its profile by 1.6 inches. Pronounced rear fender bulges fold into the beltline and flow into the liftgate, which accommodates the coupe’s redesigned LED taillights.

Those flowing lines make their way inside to the coupe’s redesigned dashboard and center console.

The base GLC300 Coupe comes equipped with the same engine as its conventional-bodied stablemate — a 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder making 241 horsepower and 273 pounds-feet of torque. That power is spread through a nine-speed automatic transmission with five driving modes that Mercedes-Benz labels “Dynamic Select.”

The GLC300 4Matic offers full-time all-wheel drive and an off-road suspension to lend some honesty to its rugged intentions. Air Body Control air suspension is an option for drivers who plan to stay on unbroken blacktop at all times.

The 3.0-liter biturbo V6 recently announced for the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 will also be available in the GLC Coupe. That mill makes 362 horsepower and 384 pounds-feet of torque, and is matched with upgraded equipment and exterior looks.

The automaker promises 0-60 mile-per-hour sprints in less than five seconds in AMG guise.

An Interior Sport Package will be offered on both AMG and base GLC coupes to further differentiate the model from the stock GLC.

The GLC Coupe is expected to be available in the U.S. in early 2017.

[Images: Mercedes-Benz USA]




Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Webbrowan Webbrowan on Mar 30, 2016

    I don't particularly like the new shape very much. It looks very common and not something you would quite expect from Mercedes. But at least with a brand as big as they are, you'll at least get a decent interior to make up for it!

  • Mead-dogman Mead-dogman on May 22, 2017

    What do you call a 4 door chicken coop? A chicken sedan!

  • Redapple2 Love the wheels
  • Redapple2 Good luck to them. They used to make great cars. 510. 240Z, Sentra SE-R. Maxima. Frontier.
  • Joe65688619 Under Ghosn they went through the same short-term bottom-line thinking that GM did in the 80s/90s, and they have not recovered say, to their heyday in the 50s and 60s in terms of market share and innovation. Poor design decisions (a CVT in their front-wheel drive "4-Door Sports Car", model overlap in a poorly performing segment (they never needed the Altima AND the Maxima...what they needed was one vehicle with different drivetrain, including hybrid, to compete with the Accord/Camry, and decontenting their vehicles: My 2012 QX56 (I know, not a Nissan, but the same holds for the Armada) had power rear windows in the cargo area that could vent, a glass hatch on the back door that could be opened separate from the whole liftgate (in such a tall vehicle, kinda essential if you have it in a garage and want to load the trunk without having to open the garage door to make room for the lift gate), a nice driver's side folding armrest, and a few other quality-of-life details absent from my 2018 QX80. In a competitive market this attention to detai is can be the differentiator that sell cars. Now they are caught in the middle of the market, competing more with Hyundai and Kia and selling discounted vehicles near the same price points, but losing money on them. They invested also invested a lot in niche platforms. The Leaf was one of the first full EVs, but never really evolved. They misjudged the market - luxury EVs are selling, small budget models not so much. Variable compression engines offering little in terms of real-world power or tech, let a lot of complexity that is leading to higher failure rates. Aside from the Z and GT-R (low volume models), not much forced induction (whether your a fan or not, look at what Honda did with the CR-V and Acura RDX - same chassis, slap a turbo on it, make it nicer inside, and now you can sell it as a semi-premium brand with higher markup). That said, I do believe they retain the technical and engineering capability to do far better. About time management realized they need to make smarter investments and understand their markets better.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Off-road fluff on vehicles that should not be off road needs to die.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X Saw this posted on social media; “Just bought a 2023 Tundra with the 14" screen. Let my son borrow it for the afternoon, he connected his phone to listen to his iTunes.The next day my insurance company raised my rates and added my son to my policy. The email said that a private company showed that my son drove the vehicle. He already had his own vehicle that he was insuring.My insurance company demanded he give all his insurance info and some private info for proof. He declined for privacy reasons and my insurance cancelled my policy.These new vehicles with their tech are on condition that we give up our privacy to enter their world. It's not worth it people.”
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