4×4 Magazine UK – August 2019

Overall, the cabin design has
a stylish grace to it that feels
effortless, and the materials in
which it’s finished are loZely to
look at and touch. The dash has a
soft-touch covering with a hard
substrate which feels rock solid,
and the same can be said of the
¾oor console ̄ which, among other
things, is home to the joystick-style
controller for Merc’s excellent
infotainment set-up.
While this does operate a wide
range of functions, there’s still a
good number of buttons on the
dash. These have a superb feeling
of quality to them, along with a
wonderful polished silZer finish.
We don’t normally make a point
of banging on about shiny metal
knobs in this magazine, but it seems
releZant in this case ̄ it really is
that well presented.
Something else we don’t tend to
talk about is loudspeaker grilles, but
those in the GLC’s doors are an
absolute work of art, with a vastly
complex pattern pressed out of
a steel fillet. It looks sublime ̄ so
much so you want to run your
finger across it, though if you do

you’ll find that the machining has

left a sharp edge.

That’s one of the only

imperfections we could find in

the GLC’s cabin. There’s a certain

amount of creaking from the dash

when it’s leant on, and we always

prefer to see a media screen

mounted in the dash rather than

on it, but oZerall the fit, finish and

presentation are top-quality.

The seats are excellent, too,

mixing sportscar-style support

with exec-style comfort, and they

offer enormous adjustability in all

directions ̄ much more than you’ll

need, unless you have the legs of

a pro basketball player. As a result,

although rear-seat accommodation

is pinched with the front seat fully

back, one six-footer can still sit

behind another in total comfort.

The back seats don’t slide or

recline, but they don’t need to ̄ a

high waistline does eat into your

view a little, but even with twin

glass sunroofs there’s no shortage

of headroom.

For carrying cargo, the seat-backs

simply drop down on to their bases.

There aren’t any clever techniques

for getting them to lie 100  ¾at,

and as a result they don’t, but

they’re close enough not to cause

any serious angst and the lip at the

bottom is good and low, even if the

aperture is rather arched at the top.

None of it screams off-roading,

to be fair. Perhaps that’s a result

of the vehicle’s design, but it’s

definitely too nice to get messy

inside. Don’t let that make you

think it’s just a pavement princess,

though ̄ you can specify tailored

drive mode settings as a no-cost

option, and augmenting this with

raised suspension, underbody

protection and better-suited wheels

and tyres only adds † on top ̄

which compares well with some of

what a Merc dealer will try to sell

you. Don’t be duped by the GLC’s

car-like image ̄ in typical Merc

fashion, its elegance is based on

Zery firm underpinnings indeed.

The cabin is beautifully designed and carried off with
real panache using extremely good quality materials. It’s
practical enough in the back, if hardly anything special

AUGUST 2019 | 33

VERDICT

HHHHI

Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 d Sport

Very car-like to look at, but a classy and

surprisingly practical family SUV

The GLC is more capable than you’re likely to

assume – in the unlikely event that you want to

risk getting it dirty. It looks very car-like and its

cabin is beautiful, but it can walk the walk too.

Its natural environment is still the road, however,

where its smooth performance and blend of

agility and refinement make it a very pleasing

SUV indeed. With a new one coming and strong

deals on offer, it looks like a stonking buy.