Turin, ITALY: The choice of the Aosta Valley, near Turin in Italy, to test drive the new Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, a rival to BMW X4, was carefully calculated to reflect everything the new sports coupe stands for. As Michael Kelz, chief engineer of the GLC said “Italy stands for the beautiful things in life.”
Kelz went on to say that the GLC Coupe is a successful blend of elegant proportions and powerful appearance.
The new coupe comes to the regional markets in September 2016.
The sporty character of this new SUV is not only a function of shape, as a dynamic coupe on stilts, but also as a combination of many engineering innovations.
It comes with sports suspension as standard with two more suspension options with continuously variable adaptive damping – all linked to a sport steering system and 4-matic permanent all-wheel drive.
One more asset experienced by test drivers on winding Italian mountain roads with steep gradients is the assurance of swift gear-shifting by the 9G-Tronic transmission in magnesium casing resulting in weight reduction of 12 kg. Drivers also noticed the tight turning circle of the GLC Coupe on narrow Italian road-bends.
The exterior design is dominated by the diamond grille, the sweeping roofline and sculptured wings. The aerodynamic appearance of the GLC Coupe is asserted by its low 0.31 drag coefficient which sets a clear benchmark for the segment.
The style of the interior raises the bar too for this class of vehicle with a wide-screen on top of three circular air vents, sweeping down in a one-piece panel to the center console and armrests.
The interior design gives a sense of purist simplicity with appeal of high value materials and precise finishing. The optionally available AMG interior line (standard in GCC) provides a clear touch of sportiness and dynamic feel.
In addition to the standard sports suspension, there are two more with adaptive damping: one is air body control — an electronically controlled air suspension; and dynamic body control, which enables the driver to pre-select the basic characteristics of the shock absorbers. Drivers can also select the transmission mode between Eco, Comfort, Sport or Sport Plus.
The Sport Plus mode effectively shortens shift times with later upshifts and earlier downshifts and additionally lowers the ride height by 15 mm. Throttle response is extremely spontaneous and power steering is reduced for more precise steering feel.
Engines
The new GLC Coupe is available with eight engine variants, including four diesel drive systems, three petrol engines and a plug-in hybrid. The Middle East region will have a choice between GLC 250 4Matic Coupe with 211 bhp and GLC 300 4Matic Coupe with 245 bhp.
These were the two vehicles tested in Italy and both provided adequate power and torque for the Italian tour.
The company intends to introduce a flagship model AMG GLC 43 4Matic Coupe. This top of the range model uses a V6 bi-turbo engine that puts out 367 bhp, accelerating the Coupe from 0-100 in 4.9 seconds. The region will not receive the plug-in hybrid model.
All engines are highly efficient and adhere to EU 6 emission standard. Arab News tested one of the diesel engines to compare with petrol engines’ performance. The diesel proved smooth and quiet from the engine at start of ignition.
Equipment
Standard equipment includes navigation, active park assist, keyless start, reversing camera and heated front seats.
Light alloy wheels size 18 inches are also standard as well as collision prevention assist plus, cross wind assist, headlamp assist, attention assist and ESP with dynamic cornering assist.
There are also a wide selection of optional packages including the AMG package, night package and designo interior.
The GLC Coupe is also a practical car leading the segment with load capacity of between 491 and 1400 liters.
Test drive
As much as it is practical, the GLC Coupe is also an attractive car that got the attention of curious Italians.
The test drive started from a public piazza in Turin called Piazza della Repubblica going north along mountain and fast routes toward the event hotel, Grand Hotel Billia in Saint Vincent, 156km away — a distance that took two hours and 20 minutes to cover.
The same route would be taken back to the airport a day later, but in between there were opportunities for taking the GLC Coupe for loops for an hour’s drive around the Aosta Valley area.
This is a charming area at 2600 meters of elevation close to the Alps including Mont Blanc, Matterhorn, Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso. The valley is also host of famous castles and Roman relics.
The GLC Coupe blended in perfectly with the scenery and took those sharp rising gradients with exhilarating ease. It is certainly the sports car of the compact SUVs.
Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe tested in northern Italy
Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe tested in northern Italy
