I spent the year end holiday season in a Mercedes-Benz GLC 200, and you know what I feel?
I feel this could end up being the ‘go-to’ premium car in a few years. And by that I mean this specific combination: silver exterior, brown interior, ‘200’ class power output, crossover without all wheel drive, sub RM300K price tag – it’s going to replace the C-Class of this price bracket (the C250 AMG Line). Let’s go through these aspects one by one.
Silver exterior
You can get your Benz in any colour you want, but silver has a little more historical significance with the brand and its sporty subsidiary, AMG. But that’s not the reason why it’s the perfect colour for the GLC 200 we tested.
You see the chrome bits down here?
Well, they’re the only part of the GLC 200 that we don’t really like. Except when you get it in silver, this entire bit kind of disappears. In anything darker or lighter, the chrome stands out and then you’ll ask yourself if going for the GLC 250 (with its AMG-Line bodykit) makes more sense.
Also silver works well because the shadows that drop under this crossover’s sensuous curves really bring out the best parts of this design.
Brown interior
It’s simple: black interior is a little bland, white/cream/beige interior is difficult to maintain. Brown interior with these wood inlays? PERFECT. Also, the leather here is ARTICO: man-made, high quality leather that’s long-lasting and comfortable.
If you’re against animal cruelty, we’re fairly certain no cows get harmed in the creation of ARTICO leather.
‘200’ Class Power Output
There are 3 reasons we like this. Firstly, 200 is as honest a designation as you’ll get in any modern, turbocharged premium sedan. 200, 2-litre, just under 200hp. Ok, that’s a bit of a silly reason, but there are two other more valid points.
Fuel efficiency is excellent, especially in ‘ECO’ mode. The gearbox goes into ‘GLIDING’ mode when you lift off the accelerator. This means the engine idles free when you’re just coasting, automatically and immediately reengaging as soon as you engage the brakes or when the system feels it’s necessary. You save a little bit here and there in this mode, but after a week of driving you really see how it adds up. Oh, and this car has a 9-speed automatic gearbox. You can drive at 110km/h with the engine turning at about 1600rpm!
Pulling power is sufficient. 300Nm is actually a nice amount of torque, even for a car of this size. It’s not going to give you sportscar levels of fun, but you’re not going to ask where the power is when you need to overtake a vehicle. It’s right there, sitting and waiting for your command.
Crossover Without All Wheel Drive
Often in life, one half of your brain makes a decision and the other half tries to jusify it. I feel that for most consumers who buy crossovers and SUVs, this is precisely what happens. They make the decision to buy a crossover and then come up with reasons. Which is fine, but then they tack on their opinions like, “SUVs should have all wheel drive.”
No, they shouldn’t. Not unless you plan on taking yours off-road. You don’t. So don’t ask for all wheel drive. Enjoy your cheaper driveline maintainance costs, lower tyre wear and lower fuel consumption. The car isn’t going to feel ‘more stable’ or have ‘better roadholding’ at the speeds you’re going with all-wheel drive.
Sub RM300K price tag
The GLC was Mercedes-Benz Malaysia’s first non-sedan to be locally-assembled. They started with the GLC 250 4MATIC, but for some of the above reasons, the GLC 200 seems like a much better buy for RM288,888 (compared to the 250’s asking price of RM325,888).
You’ll save a lot of money, but you’ll still get LED headlights, a COMAND interface, sun visors and air cond controls for rear passengers, a roomy boot with a tonneau cover, 12V socket, powered tailgate and auto seat-folding button (probably not the technical term).
Mercedes-Benz GLC 200 Specifications
Engine: Inline 4, turbocharged
Capacity: 1991cc
Gearbox: 9G-TRONIC
Max power: 184bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque: 300Nm @1200Nm
Top Speed: 210km/h
0-100 km/h: 8.7 secs
