As goes the Mercedes-Benz C-class, so goes its sport-utility sibling, the GLC-class. Benz’s compact government sedan obtained a complete makeover for 2022, including a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to the powertrain and overhauling the seems to be, the cabin, and the tech therein. Now, it is the GLC’s flip, and whereas the 2023 GLC300 could not look all that totally different from the skin, it is grown a bit and picked up some notably nicer accouterments.

The 2023 GLC300 hides its newly embiggened dimensions nicely in footage, however it does seem portlier in individual. With the wheelbase unchanged at 113.1 inches, and size increasing 2.4 inches to 185.7 inches, all that progress goes proper to overhang—an statement our toilet mirrors are all too accustomed to. Baggage capability is up by practically three cubic toes, to 22 whole. For the reason that wheelbase is unchanged, it should not come as a shock that entrance and rear legroom change by simply 0.1 inch (the entrance shorter, rear longer) and really feel no totally different within the new mannequin.

A number of different dimensions have been massaged to spice up aerodynamic slip. The GLC300’s drag coefficient now measures 0.29, an enchancment of two-tenths over the outgoing mannequin. Total peak is down a tenth of an inch, the entrance monitor grows by 0.3 inch, and the rear monitor is sort of a full inch wider than earlier than. Weight is up a good bit, to 4406 kilos versus the 4122 kilos we measured in a 2020 mannequin.

Whether or not it is bought with rear- or all-wheel drive (a $2000 upcharge), the GLC300 is now a 48-volt mild-hybrid. The built-in starter-generator bolts as much as a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, producing the identical 255 horsepower as earlier than, however torque rises 22 pound-feet to 295. The electrical motor can add as much as 23 horsepower and 148 pound-feet, however not at peak. That driving force will get routed to the wheels by the use of a smooth-shifting nine-speed automated transmission.

With practically 300 further kilos of mass being shoved round and solely 22 additional pound-feet on faucet, the 2023 GLC300’s acceleration suffers, however not by a lot. The GLC300 reaches 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, 0.3 second behind the 2020 mannequin. The story’s related within the quarter, with the 2023 mannequin crossing the road in 14.4 seconds at 95 mph, a negligible distinction to the 2020’s 14.2-second run at 96 mph. These numbers stay superior to the final BMW X3 30i we examined, and so they’re about even with the Audi Q5 45.

A few of this comes from the tires, which on the 2020 mannequin had 235/55R-19 Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season Run Flats in any respect 4 corners; our 2023 instance wears wider, staggered AMG wheels ($850) and rolls on 20-inch Continental EcoContact 6 summer time rubber measuring 255/45 up entrance, and whopping 285/40 within the rear. That Rubenesque contact patch actually helps clarify our improved skidpad determine of 0.88 g, besting the outdated GLC’s 0.85 g—not that spectacular although when accounting for the transition from all-season to summer time tires.

Mercedes’s tweaks to the 2023 GLC formulation enhance EPA-estimated freeway financial system to 31 mpg, 3 mpg greater than the outgoing mannequin. The GLC300’s newfound electrification additionally sweetens the SUV’s on-road demeanor. This stop-start is among the many smoothest in the marketplace, reviving the fuel engine with nary a shudder. Below deceleration, it is troublesome to note when the engine shuts off for low-speed coasting. This smoothness extends to the steering—banefully so, because it’s devoid of off-center buildup and is simply numb all-around—and the brakes, that are straightforward to modulate for persistently {smooth} stops.

The remaining components of the Merc’s driving expertise could be greatest summed up as “sport-adjacent.” The GLC’s normal adaptive dampers hold issues good and {smooth} over mildly uneven components of the roadway, and physique motions are nicely managed, however extra dramatic humps and bumps switch an excellent little bit of movement inside. If we had been ordering our personal GLC300, we might keep on with the usual 18-inch wheels, with tires which have thicker sidewalls and will ship a greater experience on Michigan’s Martian roadscape.

Chuck the GLC right into a nook and, certain, it will lean greater than a C-class, however it stays nicely sorted and makes an excellent case for taking the great distance again from college drop-off. The four-banger sounds fairly good whenever you give it the beans too. It is a rattling disgrace about that steering contemplating how nicely sorted the remainder of this automobile is.

In case your commute has extra site visitors lights than curves, you are in luck, as a result of now you possibly can admire simply how a lot better the GLC300’s inside is. The waterfall-like center-console form stays, however the remaining has been revamped to match the model present in different Mercedes automobiles, and it really works nicely. Our pattern GLC’s dashboard was lined in natural-grain black wooden with aluminum strips ($200). The steering wheel has been upgraded with a sharper design, however followers of bodily buttons will discover only a few wherever inside–a degree of occasional frustration, because the capacitive directional pads on the steering-wheel spokes are approach too straightforward to activate by chance. The panoramic roof ($1500) contains a thinner cross-strut, too, not that anybody would discover.

Do you’re keen on screens? Properly, the GLC is a contemporary Mercedes, so that you’d higher. The outdated mannequin’s deep gauge binnacle has been trashed in favor of a 12.3-inch show with a number of layouts and the potential to show a full navigation map. The 11.9-inch normal middle touchscreen runs the newest iteration of MBUX infotainment software program, which is responsive, sufficiently straightforward to navigate, and consists of wi-fi smartphone mirroring. The middle show will decide up (and mirror) greasy fingerprints like no one’s enterprise, so take your preschool instruction to coronary heart and wash your fingers usually.

Whereas the GLC300 4Matic’s $50,250 base worth is in step with the phase, issues can get costly in a rush. We’re staring down an as-tested worth of $65,950. A few of that comes from the highest Pinnacle trim’s $4450 worth bump, however standalone choices certain ain’t low-cost both. Extra aggressive AMG Line styling will set you again $3450, though the Night time package deal’s blacked-out trim solely provides $200 to the underside line. The Driver Help package deal accommodates all the standard lively and passive driver aids for an additional $1950. Even this particular shade of Cardinal Crimson Metallic is a hefty $1750.

Regardless of the little bit of sticker shock, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic is a powerful contender within the entry-luxe division. Its cabin is vastly improved over its predecessor’s, whereas its new hybrid parts add a dollop of smoothness to around-town duties. But it nonetheless can let unfastened and have just a little enjoyable—even with the additional junk within the trunk.

Senior Editor

Vehicles are Andrew Krok’s jam, together with boysenberry. After graduating with a level in English from the College of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, Andrew minimize his tooth writing freelance journal options, and now he has a decade of full-time overview expertise beneath his belt. A Chicagoan by delivery, he has been a Detroit resident since 2015. Possibly in the future he’ll do one thing about that half-finished engineering diploma.