Mercedes GLC Coupe (2016-2023) Review

Blending sporty looks, a luxurious interior and SUV practicality, the Mercedes GLC Coupe is enjoyable to drive

1/7

Strengths & weaknesses

Comfortable on bumpy roads
Wide choice of engines
Distinctive styling

More expensive than normal GLC
Limited rear headroom
No more practical than a C-Class Estate

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe prices from £22,599.

Finance from £410.10 / month.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe deals

Britain’s drivers have been voting with their feet over the past decade, telling car-makers that saloons are more conservative than a golf club, hatchbacks are as ordinary as a hopper bus and estates are a bit too sensible for their liking.

They’d much prefer to be driving an sport utility vehicle (SUV), the modern-day 4x4 that’s taken showrooms by storm. But when nearly all your neighbours have one, how do you stand out of the crowd? By buying a coupé version.

These combine the high seating position of an SUV with a sleek roofline of a coupé. But they’re still something of a rarity, making them exclusive; BMW offers the X4 while Mercedes has the GLC Coupé, and both exist to look that bit more stylish than a regular SUV. Both also have big brothers, the X6 and GLE Coupé respectively.

You’ll pay a premium for the Coupé over the SUV, of nearly £3000, to stand out of the crowd – although substantial discounts are available on BuyaCar. Aside from the different bodywork, there’s no justification for this, so you need to like what you see.

Inside, the cabin is comfortable and well appointed, with lots of leather swathed across seats and upper surfaces, blending in with high-quality plastics (in Sport versions) and dark woods (the more expensive AMG Line cars).

The entertainment system, based around an 8.4-inch screen mounted at the top of the dashboard, has all the functionality you’d expect to find in a premium vehicle, and operates the likes of the navigation, phone integration and music intuitively using a touchpad and rotary dial, between the front seats.

The front of the GLC Coupé is spacious and comfortable, with lots of adjustability in the seats, but the sloping roof does mean that headroom in the rear is compromised: there is an acceptable level of legroom, but taller adults are going to find that their heads brush against the rooflining.

The 500-litre boot is on a par with the BMW X4 and there’s more than in the Mercedes C-Class saloon, with more than enough room for the week’s shopping or a family’s luggage.

All versions have engines with enough performance for most buyers. But if you want a smoother, more civilised diesel then try the six-cylinder, 350 d. And for even more performance, the AMG 43 version offers impressive pace for an SUV – or, for that matter, any sports car.

On the road, the GLC Coupé is more SUV than coupé: bodyroll is well contained and the steering is accurate, while the different driving modes of the Dynamic Select make differences to the suppleness of the ride and throttle response. The balance of ride comfort and handling is about right for most drivers. For buyers who like a more sporty, responsive feel to their car, the X4 does feel slightly more precise.

All versions have 4Matic four-wheel drive, which ensures that the GLC Coupé is capable in winter weather or when called upon for towing (it has a maximum towing weight of 2,500kg). Venture off the beaten track and it will keep you motoring over a wet, grassy field or along farm tracks, but don’t expect to be able to help the local farmer round up missing sheep with it.

The GLC Coupé may be a niche proposition but if you find a C-Class estate too sensible and the normal GLC SUV too common, it could just be the car for you.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe deals

Key facts

Warranty	3 years / unlimited mileage
Boot size	500 litres
Width	1890mm
Length	4732mm

Best Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe for...

Best for Economy – Mercedes GLC Coupé 220 d

Capable of returning up to 47.9mpg, this is the model to choose if you want your money to go further at the pumps

Best for Families – GLC Coupé 250 d

More power means a more effortless drive than the 220 d, yet the fuel economy is unchanged

Best for Performance – GLC Coupé 43 4Matic

This six-cylinder engine hits the sweet spot of delivering impressive performance, acceptable economy and character

History

June 2016: Sales begin in the UK, staring with 220 and 250 d models
September 2016: First cars arrive in UK showrooms
October 2016: Range expands with addition of 350 d and AMG 43 4Matic models
August 2017: Mercedes-AMG 63 versions go on sale

Understanding Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe names

Engine 220d

There are two four-cylinder diesels, a V6 diesel, a V6 petrol and a V8 petrol.

Trim Sport

Mercedes offers Sport, AMG Line and Mercedes-AMG trim levels

Gearbox 4Matic

Every version comes with a nine-speed automatic gearbox and 4Matic four-wheel drive

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Engines

220 d, 250 d, 350 d, 250, AMG 43, AMG 63

The majority of GLC Coupé buyers will go for one of the three diesel engines available.

Propping up the trio are a pair of four-cylinder units, the 220 d and 250 d, both of which officially return 46.3mpg and emit from 161g/km (with 18” alloy wheels) of CO2. The power ratings vary – 170PS for the 220 d, 204PS for the 250 d – with differing 0-62mph acceleration times as a result (8.3 seconds and 7.6 seconds, respectively).

Performance for both is decent enough, with enough overtaking ability for most owners (the 220d does require a bigger run-up, though) and an ability to cruise smoothly at motorways speeds, and there’s the added bonus of acceptable running costs.

The 350 d V6 diesel is of a different order. It is smooth on the ear, offers effortless performance in all driving situations - taking 6.2 seconds to accelerate from 0-62mph - yet can still achieve up to 42mpg.

Drivers who prefer to have a petrol-powered model can opt for either a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, a 3-litre V6 or, for those who like their GLC Coupé to come with more muscle than a powerlifter, a 4-litre V8.
Let’s start with the rather more sensible 250 engine, which produces 211PS. It is more refined than the diesel equivalent, can nip from 0-62mph in 7.3 second and returns up to 40mpg. However, with CO2 emissions of 173g/km of CO2 means the first year’s road tax bill is a hefty £830, compared with £515 for the four-cylinder diesels.

The road tax is even more expensive for the hot AMG models, but that’s perhaps the least of a buyer’s concerns. At best, the 367PS V6 model will return 33mpg, and the full-fat 4-litre V8 can only manage 24mpg if driven in a saintly fashion. Put your foot down and that is likely to fall to the mid-teens. Still they’re fast and fun, and their roadholding is surprisingly impressive – with the 4Matic four-wheel drive system and various electronic driving aids letting you hussle it along at quite a lick.

	Fuel	Fuel economy	Power	Acceleration (0-62mph)	Top speed
220 d	diesel	56.5mpg	170hp	8.3s	130mph
250 d	diesel	56.5mpg	204hp	7.6s	138mph
350 d	diesel	43.5mpg	258hp	6.2s	148mph
250	petrol	40.9mpg	211hp	7.3s	138mph
AMG 43	petrol	33.6mpg	367hp	4.9s	155mph
AMG 63	petrol	26.4-27.4mpg	476-510hp	3.8-4.0s	155-174mph

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Trims

Sport, AMG Line, Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-Benz has kept things pretty simple with the GLC Coupé’s trims, with three different specifications.

The ‘base’ model is the Sport trim, although there’s a good level equipment to be had, including 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights come with integral LED daytime running lamps, an infotainment system with Garmin navigation, Apple CarPlay integration, heated front seats, cruise control and Dynamic Select driving modes (Comfort, Eco, Sport, Sport+ and Individual). Also included are parking sensors and a reversing camera, self-dimming mirrors and an interior lighting package.

Flashing a little extra cash gets buyers an AMG Line car, which comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, bodystyling features, sports suspension, leather upholstery, sports pedals and a multifunction steering wheel.

The Mercedes-AMG trim is only available with high-performance 43 and 63 AMG variants and includes the likes of even more bodystyling elements (spoiler lip, air intakes, etc) to ramp up the assertive looks, more leather in the interior and colour-coordinated brake callipers.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Reliability and warranty

Every new Mercedes passenger car comes with a three-year warranty that has no restriction on the number of miles permitted during that period. However, the German car company fared poorly in the 2018 Auto Express Driver Power Survey, ranking in 20th place.

The GLC Coupé doesn’t feature in the survey, though.

Used Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe

This may not be a big-selling car, but there are still used deals to be had on GLC Coupés. Prices for used models on BuyaCar start at around £33,000 for a 220 d model – a potential saving of about £9,000, so long as you don’t mind that the car will already have covered around 10,000 miles. As a thought, a year-old, six-cylinder diesel model is actually cheaper than a new 220 d.

Other Editions

GLC (2016 – 2022)

A smooth ride and stylish interior make the Mercedes GLC a luxurious family SUV