Mercedes GLC First Drive: AutoGuide.com

Mercedes has been on a new product offensive lately as part of a constant tug-of-war for the luxury sales crown with BMW and Audi. After its thrilling AMG GT, uber luxurious Maybach and entry-level GLA launches now comes the money maker: The all new GLC mid-sized SUV, which replaces the popular GLK.

FAST FACTS

The GLC (the new name signifies that it shares a platform with the C-Class) is in a very competitive and profitable segment and Mercedes hopes it will pull in huge sales. Its timing, aggressive redesign and raft of new technology makes it the current segment leader among the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.

Bye, Bye Boxy

Here’s what Mercedes said about the GLC’s new look in a press release: “The design philosophy behind the new GLC essentially favors sensual purity and a modern aesthetic over the classic off-road look.”

That’s all a load of crap. “Sensual purity?” Come on. I liked the off-road look.

I love boxy cars, so I was a fan of the first-gen GLK. Reminding me of a smaller, more attainable G-Wagen, the boxy GLK was unique. Maybe I’m just a hipster that likes old things that don’t fit into the mainstream, fine. But one of the GLK’s strongest selling points for me was its boxy looks; it made the GLK look more rugged and helped it stand out in a very crowded segment.

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