Mercedes-Benz GLC updated for 2019

Mercedes-Benz has given its ultra-successful mid-sized SUV, the GLC, a big mid-life birthday. A new engine range is joined by new bodywork and additional interior technology, while Mercedes-Benz has also deleted the rear-wheel-drive variant.

On the outside, new narrower LED headlights are now standard across the range, with a high-performing version on the options list. The reshaped lights frame a revised grille and bonnet, while a new rear bar and redesigned LED taillights also feature.

Inside, the addition of Mercedes-Benz’s twin-screen MBUX telematics system means that new steering wheel options are also on the table, while new materials have been used to lift and update the rest of the dash and centre console.

A multi-touch pad on the centre console allows for touch or handwriting access to the MBUX system, while Merc has also added its (slightly odd) Energising Coach system.

It uses colours, seat cushioning, venting, music and more to manage the occupant’s moods, while it can also be paired with a Garmin smartwatch to monitor the driver’s biometrics. Or they could just stop and have a coffee…

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Technically speaking, Merc has flagged a brace of new four-cylinder engines in both petrol and diesel varieties.

The new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine – codenamed M264 - adds a 48-volt hybrid mode that adds 10kW of extra power and a not-insignificant 150Nm of extra torque, along with a clever starter/generator combo that removes the need for a traditional starter.

The petrol engines come in either 145kW/280Nm (GLC 200) or 190kW/370Nm (GLC 300) specs.

There is a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel as well, which comes in three different specs. The 200d makes 120kW/360Nm, the 220d produces 143kW/400Nm and the 300d pushes out 180kW/500Nm.

A key change for the entry-level GLC 200 is the addition of Mercedes-Benz’s all-wheel-drive system, while the whole range benefits from Merc’s individually adjusting adaptive dampers, which work independently of each other to provide the best combination of ride and handling.

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Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mercedes-Benz without a vast array of safety systems, and the GLC features a laundry list of driver aids like turn assist, rear-cross traffic assist, high-and low-speed AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection and much more.

The GLC goes up against other luxury SUVs like the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Lexus NX, Porsche Macan and Volvo XC60. It's expected to arrive in Australia before the end of 2019.