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The Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class hasn’t existed for long in terms of the premium German auto brand’s long and storied history, but the mid-size prestige SUV has quickly become a very important model in its lineup.
After replacing the GLK in 2015, the original GLC was available with a range of petrol and diesel engines across dozens of variants (including AMG performance variant). It was launched in 2022 as the second-generation model, once again in wagon and ‘Coupe’ forms, and the small initial line has continued to grow.
Reflecting Australia’s insatiable appetite for SUVs, the GLC continues to outsell the closely related and once-dominant C-Class, and last year it was Merc’s best-selling model in Australia by a considerable margin.
Its rivals didn’t have a bad year either – in fact, the BMW X3 was ahead in the sales charts, while the Lexus NX took out top spot in the mid-size luxury SUV segment.
Mercedes-Benz has issued a few key running updates in recent years to help boost the popularity of the GLC. Interestingly it introduced the base-spec GLC200 and expanded the nameplate’s versatility with the plug-in hybrid GLA350e in 2025.
That brought it up to speed with hybridised versions of the X3 and NX, but perhaps more important was the addition of GLC200 in opening up the GLA range to those on a slightly tighter budget.
Like the entry-level variants of the X3 and Audi Q5 model lines, the GLC200 is fitted with a lower-output petrol engine than the existing GLC300 variants, and also loses a fair amount of standard equipment. All that helped it land at $89,000 before on-road costs, which is where it remains a year later.
The 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC200 4Matic costs less than its direct competitors from BMW, Audi and Lexus on test here; it’s also under pressure from South Korean brand Genesis, a relative newcomer in the luxury world.
How does the price of this more realistic GLC compare to the competition, and is it worth compared to other luxury SUV options?
How much does the Mercedes-Benz GLC cost?
Our GLC200 tester sits at the bottom of the GLC-Class lineup, priced at $89,000 before on-road costs.
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC200 4Matic | $89,000 |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC350e 4Matic | $99,900 |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic | $105,100 |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic Coupe | $117,100 |
Among the other premium brands, such as the BMW X3 20 ($87,300 before on-roads), and the cheapest all-wheel drive Audi Q5, the Quattro of an electric car that is priced at $87 in600 prior to on road trips, Rivals are base-spec variants from their top brand.
You could also branch out to Asia, where you’ll find the cheapest all-wheel drive Lexus NX, the hybrid NX350h, for $76,500 before on-roads. Relative newcomer Genesis, meanwhile, offers the GV70 2.5T Advanced from $80,300 before on-roads.
And it’s also worth mentioning the range-topping Mercedes-AMG GLC performance variants, which start with an initial of $136,900 before on-roads for the GLA43 and up to $200,000.50 after on road versions for flagship GLS63 S E Performance.
To see how the Mercedes-Benz GLC stacks up against the competition, use our
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What is the Mercedes-Benz GLC like on the inside?
In modern Mercedes-Benz interiors, there is a surface sheen that wears off after you start using everything and the screen-heavy cabin of the GLC200 is neither particularly elegant to look at nor very satisfying for interaction with people.
At the front of the cabin, there is a huge amount of empty space left by Mercedes-Benz’s designers and this has been an awful lot for its designers. It doesn’t make the GLC look all that is tidy – just look at the huge ‘waterfall’ dashboard, the slightly off-centre infotainment panel and the weirdly high air vents like in most brands.
The importance of material choice is here. It is hard plastic, even though it has a soft leather-look surface above that section of the ‘s head and there’s. sea of piano black material on the centre console which will be an magnet for smudges.
A. cabin at GLC’s is luxurious, and fancy for some people to be sure but it just doesn’t make sense for this reviewer as the may have been in that state of luxury with his wife. We didn’t have any big creaks or rattles in our press car so build quality seems okay initially, but the plastic air vents on dash, seat controls that are a little bit flimsy when it comes to the Dash and seats and stalks behind the steering wheel all feel slightly ‘fludishly flat.
Similarly, on that note there are no physical buttons in here other than the start/stop button. That doesn’t mean there are no controls outside the screen, but they’re all haptic and once again finished in glossy plastic.
It’s a real shame for to be this. If we’d like to see more than just a simple ribbon of touch-buttons in the middle, and would be much more functional if it had controls you can physically push through the steering wheel.
This leads to a cabin that’s slightly fiddly and is meant to be more like ‘fucky, bit-tricked up’ to interact with . And, of course, all this ‘simplification’ is the result of it – in case you want to call it that if you are over-reliant on screens as vertical central display is your main control hub for the whole car. A purely digital climate system is disappointing, but its graphics may be sharp, it’s responsive and there are some handy apps.
This button, dedicated ‘Climate Menu’ is also extremely easy to miss and it’s a very difficult task for s to find the full range of controls. It’s a standard that is at least standard for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but we can’t help but yearn for the more tactile Mercedes-Benz interiors pre-2020.
The integration of the instrument display isn’t particularly slick either, but we like its graphics and customisability. Many options are available, and you’ll eventually learn how to flick between by pressing the vaguely labelled steering wheel buttons.
Besides all that, the cabin at GLC’s is quite comfortable. A nice size and finished leather steering wheel, we like the satin-look metallic accents and shiny three-pointed star badge in the middle of the car.
In typical Merc fashion, the seats are plush and have a wide variety of adjustment controls on the doors. This is a small disappointment given that seat heating is standard but ventilation isn’t, which is not as annoying as the base GLC does when it is excluded in more expensive variants.
Alternatively, the cabin doesn’t do much more than what you see on the surface. A little storage cubby under the glossy sliding lid in the middle is a two cupholder,’wireless phone charger and two USB-C outlets’ with two Cup Holders.
Piano black material will forever be a gripe here, mostly because it’s in such. high-touch areas and is the only one that has been used to use piano black materials. A storage box under a split-opening padded lid is another USB-C port further back, while other storage options include ‘a decent glovebox and door pockets’.
There’s a good comfort in the second row, and space-height passengers shouldn’t have any problems with average-hight people. Nice to have a little more room, but at least the glass roof makes it feel airier – not brighter given that otherwise dull colour palette.
While amenities aren’t particularly generous, rear-seatoccupants benefit from air vents on the back of the centre console and a padded fold-down armrest with cupholders. I’m a weird exception to the fact that there are no USB outlets here, which is obscenely unrequited because of the family-oriented GLC and again it costs its price.
The boot has a quoted 620-litre seats-up capacity that is larger than the X3 (570L) and Q5 (520L), which it says very well in the metal. Large cargo floor, with hooks and net to keep things in place; power tailgate moves quickly & makes everything just a touch easier.
However, unlike other hybridised cars, the GLC has a space-saver spare under the boot floor as standard. A full-size alternative is still better, but a space-saver is pleasantly surprising as Mercedes-Benz has long fitted its cars with tyre repair kits.
| Dimensions | Mercedes-Benz GLC200 4Matic |
| — | — |
| Length | 4723mm |
| Width | 1890mm |
| Height | 1634mm |
| Wheelbase | 2888mm |
| Cargo capacity | 620L (rear seats up) 1680L (rear seats folded) |
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What’s under the bonnet?
Powered by the base GLC200 is 2 . The four-cylinder petrol engine, which was powered by 150kW of power and 320Nm of torque, produced with the help of 0-litre turbocharged four wheel engines. The system is used with 48V mild-hybrid (drive to all four wheels via nine-speed automatic transmission) and it’s paired with a 12-volt, eight-wheel drive system.
| Specifications | Mercedes-Benz GLC200 4Matic |
| — | — |
| Engine | 2.0L 4cyl turbo-petrol with 48V mild-hybrid system |
| Power | 150kW |
| Torque | 320Nm |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 1976kg |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 7.8s |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 7.5L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 6.8L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 62L |
| Fuel requirement | 95-octane premium unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 170g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 6 |
| Braked tow capacity | 2400kg |
The car was a highway commuter and inner-town errand-running week with the car, including some stints where all five seats are used.
No one of this was really hard to drive, so it’s no surprise that we got the best Mercedes’ fuel consumption claim – which is already a relatively impressive figure given how big GLC is and hasn’t had full-hybrid help.
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How does the Mercedes-Benz GLC drive?
The GLC’s divisive interior contrasts with its on-road behaviour, which is best described as inoffensive.
GLC350e shown
Despite the fact that one caveat comes with that, that is not necessarily what s do. But we hate the flimsy side steps Mercedes has fitted, as they feel hollow and can’t support the weight of an adult – other than that it’s useless because the GLC isn’t a high-riding off-road SUV.
Sadly, they’re one of the first things that greet you when you hop in to drive for the very first time. The engine is another, which burns up into a non-descript four-cylinder idle that neither sonorous nor grating (i.e.
If you then slap the plastic gear selector stalk down to Drive and turn off, set off from Drive. But despite all that, the GLC feels solid when you start moving forward. It’s not particularly fast, because its engine isn’t very powerful and it performs well for the application. Oricum, the car world cares too much about 0-100km/h times.
The GLC will accelerate with no problem, and the engine never feels all that strained. It’s a very sensible powertrain, because Mercedes-Benz knows this base model isn’t supposed to set the world on fire and so it offers.
Despite the lack of a traditional hybrid GLC such as the Lexus NX, there is no conventional model for an alternative version of the German competition that has been offered by the Benz’s powertrain lineup. However, after all, the GLC350e is a plug-in hybrid (even if it’s not cheap) alternative to .
supporting the 2 . Our GLC200 tester has 0-litre engine, which is a good nine-speed auto. It’s a traditional torque-converter unit, so its shifts are predictable and generally smooth. When it has to kick down, it doesn’t show any confusion and does not make itself known in normal driving.
It’s only one thing we have griped here, that there is a slight delay between mashing the throttle and the car going off (but just under hard acceleration). Sport mode is a way to fix it, but this’s especially true in the car’S Comfort drive mode.
In sport mode, the gear shifts and steering weight are also adjusted to make a car more lively in Sport mode. Unlike the GLC200 being turned into an corner-carver, it’s nice that when the roads get twisty.
Despite the fact that this SUV is best experienced in Comfort mode, it’s what makes its reputation as a luxury-oriented family commuter better. This ensures the engine and transmission behave exactly as they should for this purpose, and we feel that the normal steering weight is very livable – all can be tailored in Individual mode, too.
A well-calibrated ride for the GLC200 is also well suited, but not perfect. It errs on the firmer side, fine and slightly offset by the base-trim’s chunky tyre sidewalls of its , but some bumps are more noticeable than others.
The only time at 60km/h when a bump really shocks the car, more so than any other car we’ve ever driven on that road was to see it. It’s not quite as compliant as we would like to be; this is just a small ‘nitpick in the context of essentially consistent on-road package’.
If you think the GLC200 doesn’t bring anything to the table that necessarily justifys its status or price, it feels like a more premium experience than what you get in ‘normal SUV luxury. If we were to rate this car on driving experience alone, that’s probably going to score higher.
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General solid refinement levels support the driving experience, such as . The chunky tidles that are mentioned above, and we didn’t notice any real problems with wind noise when driving without music from the solid nine-speaker sound system, which is well under way on road noise.
It’s a series of well-designed safety gear that rounds it off. We had no problem with any of the car’s passive assistance systems, including lane-keep assist or blind-spot monitoring and the adaptive cruise control worked well without being unable to match traffic speed or slamming on the brakes when a faster car cuts in front of us.
Despite being usually cruise control-averse, Annoyingly, this car doesn’t have lane-centring to go with that adaptive cruise system. Mercedes-Benz doesn’t include this standard on the GLC200 or even in the GL300, so it’s weird that this feature is still found with hundreds of cheaper cars. Nevertheless, it is available as part of a $5846. 50 option pack,.
It is generally a well-built GLC200, and our experience with its engine, transmission, suspension and steering was pleasant. That’s a shame you have to spend extra for valuable safety technology.
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What do you get?
Non-AMG GLC variants are available in two trims.
2026 Mercedes-Benz GLC200 equipment highlights:
- 19-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels
- Space-saver spare wheel
- LED headlights with adaptive high-beam
- Agility Control suspension with selective damping
- Aluminium roof rails
- Comfort Plus package – hands-free access, keyless go, easy-pack tailgate, USB package
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Fingerprint scanner
- Panoramic glass sunroof
- Aluminium-look running boards
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- Mercedes-Benz logo puddle lighting
- Avantgarde chrome exterior trim
- Auto-dimming interior rearview mirror
- Diamond-patterned Artico upholstery
- High-gloss black centre console trim
- Heated and power-adjustable front seats with four-way lumbar and memory
- Illuminated door sills
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- Head-up display
- 11.9-inch MBUX touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Wireless phone charger
- Satellite navigation
- 9-speaker sound system
- Ambient lighting
- Chrome interior package
- Dual-zone climate control
- Privacy glass
GLC350e adds:
- 19-inch twin five-spoke alloy wheels
- Anthracite Lime Wood dash trim
- Dashboard and beltlines in Artico
- Comfort suspension with self-levelling
- Tyre repair kit
GLC300 adds (over GLC200):
- 20-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels
- AMG Line exterior, AMG bodystyling
- Upgraded braking system with large front discs
- Body-coloured wheel arches
- AMG Line interior
- Anthracite Lime Wood dashboard trim
- Dashboard and beltlines in Artico
- Sports seats
- Multifunction sports steering wheel in Nappa leather
- Advanced sound system
- Piano black centre console
GLC300 Coupe adds:
- 20-inch AMG five-spoke alloy wheels
- Sport suspension
Options
GLC200 Plus Package ($5846.50) adds:
- Digital Light headlights
- Heat- and noise-insulating acoustic glass
- Burmester 3D surround sound system
- Augmented reality navigation
- Guard 360 vehicle protection plus
- Driving Assistance Package Plus
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Active Steering Assist
GLC200 Night Package ($999.90) adds:
- 20-inch AMG black alloy wheels with high-sheen rim flange
- AMG Line interior and exterior styling
- Body-colour wheel arch cladding
- Black roof rails
- Sports seats
- ‘Sporty engine sound’
- Sports steering wheel
- Larger front brake discs
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Is the Mercedes-Benz GLC safe?
The Mercedes-Benz GLC has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2022.
| Category | Mercedes-Benz GLC |
| — | — |
| Adult occupant protection | 92 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 92 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 74 per cent |
| Safety assist | 84 per cent |
Standard safety equipment highlights:
- 10 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Adaptive cruise control
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Lane-keep assist
- Semi-autonomous parking assist
- Speed sign recognition
- Surround-view camera
- Tyre pressure monitoring
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How much does the Mercedes-Benz GLC cost to run?
Mercedes–Benz Australia backs its vehicles under an unlimited-kilometre and five year warranty. The first comes in 12 months or 25,000km, which is required to service non-AMG GLC variants.
| Servicing and Warranty | Mercedes-Benz GLC |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 5 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 25,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | Prepaid service plans |
| Total capped-price service cost | $3400 (3-year plan) $4690 (4-year plan) $7350 (5-year plan) |
As ever, Mercedes-Benz service pricing is way more expensive than what its rivals offer.
A good five-year service plan for the BMW X3 and $3520 for an Audi Q5 is referenced, while Lexus provides five years of capped-price servicing for NX at $3225.
However, Genesis blows them all out of the water as every new model including the GV70 is given five years of free scheduled servicing by Genesis.
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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Mercedes-Benz GLC200 4Matic
The 200 is one of the more logical additions to the GLC family’s buying list, but that doesn’t mean this SUV makes much sense overall.
The interior is a bit of slick and stylish, but it’s hard to argue against the generally straightforward on-road experience that people have. That’s a relatively achievable option in the luxury car world (though it’s outclassed by the GLC350E), and is also the lowest member of the lineup for GLA.
That should be enough to satisfy rusted-on Mercedes-Benz fans, and those who want to own the hallowed three-pointed star badge but anyone buying for a higher-end mid-size SUV will almost certainly get slack elsewhere.
And we don’t even mention the GLC’s most direct competitors from BMW and Audi, which are much more similar if they are slightly cheaper. In place, we’d sell buyers to the Genesis GV70 (especially in base 2). trim, 5T Advanced .
This is almost $10,000 less than the base GLC, but it has a much more powerful engine and an interior that features ‘an uncompromisingly luxurious-styled feature to it’ – not even mentions insanely good servicing deal. It’s a lot more thirsty than the GLC200, but that’ is the only downside.
Lexus NX is the cheapest option in this world, although it has hybrid power as standard but its premium interior flair is noticeably absent until you start moving up the range and like that Genesis which may be not at all attractive to German badge snobs.
The GLC200 is a good prestige SUV, all that says, but some of Mercedes-Benz’s competitors do it better.
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