2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The Mercedes-Benz GLC compact crossover is the automaker’s best-selling model here in the US, so the pressure must have been on with this generational redesign to avoid alienating an already-loyal fanbase. Perhaps that’s why Mercedes designers opted to play it pretty safe. The new-for-2023 GLC SUV sported new taillights but otherwise looked quite similar to its first-gen predecessor, and the now-revised GLC Coupe shows a similarly restrained approach. Door handles have moved down the crossover’s sides, now falling beneath rather than above its defining bodywork crease. The headlights now taper at the outside edges and are narrower and more menacing in appearance overall. The taillights are quite different, connected by a trim piece which stretches across the back, and the layout of the rear end’s design elements has been updated. The trunk kicks down more than it used to, the rear bumper frames it, and the reflectors are lower–and there’s less chrome. The two exhaust outlets still sport chrome tips, but they’re no longer grouped together by an additional brightwork frame.

Of course, the Coupe’s principal distinguishing feature remains its steeply sloping profile, with a fastback roof just barely jogging out to form a trunk. The SUV we drove for this review still looks very much like an inflated hatchback, and the grille is still what sets both the GLC AMG Coupe and SUV apart from their GLC 300 counterparts. The non-AMG grille features a segmented chrome crossbar, slimmed down for the new generation, with a pointillist backdrop. Performance models still dispense with the horizontal in favor of vertical bars that put us in mind of a pinstriped baseball uniform.

The GLC’s interior is certainly sumptuous at first glance: There’s far too much going on to take away any impression of scarcity or austerity. Our Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 SUV test car was outfitted with two-tone Sienna Brown and Black leather upholstery, an extra-cost upgrade over the MB-Tex synthetic leather that’s standard even at the AMG level. It also featured the optional wood-and-metal dash treatment, which echoed the grille’s pinstripe effect. And then there were all the screens, buttons, ambient lighting, and vents. Even at this relatively low end of the brand’s pricing spectrum, the GLC is heavy on gadgetry, just as we’ve come to expect from Mercedes. This crossover’s interior is absolutely class-leading if you’re into that sort of thing.

The Mercedes GLC 43 features a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from AMG. It makes 416 horsepower, solidly exceeding the 385 from the prior generation’s twin-turbocharged V6. Though its cylinders are fewer, this new motor is helped along by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. A plug-in hybrid (PHEV) AMG GLC 63 is expected in 2025, but for this year, the 43 tops the GLC range. And it certainly does outshine the base Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 by quite a bit: That entry-level variant is good for just 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from its tune of the mild-hybrid turbo-four. It must be said that 255 is not actually a low number; there are plenty of similarly sized crossover SUVs with far less power under the hood. It just looks a little lackluster once you know that 416 is an option.

The base GLC 300 SUV is rear-wheel-drive (RWD), but buyers who want all-wheel drive (AWD) can select the 4Matic model for an extra $2,000. The GLC 300 Coupe comes with standard 4Matic AWD, as does the AMG GLC 43 in either body style. Both powertrains use a nine-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, but don’t mistake this for a shared component. The base GLC 300 gets what Mercedes calls the 9G-Tronic, a conventional automatic transmission with a torque converter. The GLC 43, meanwhile, gets what’s known as the AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed, which features a multi-clutch system instead of the torque converter. This is certainly better for performance driving: It’s capable of faster shifts, like a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) would be, and it can also handle more torque than a DCT could. The downside of this responsiveness is the noticeably rougher shifts. This is one reason that we would not recommend the GLC’s performance models for anyone who’ll be using it primarily as a commuter; the other is the performance suspension. We found it to be improved over its predecessors, less uncomfortable while still maintaining the desired taut handling, but it still makes for a firmer ride than we expect most people will want from a luxury crossover. Of course, if you’re an enthusiast who’s planning to take advantage of that standard four-wheel steering and really carve up the corners, you’ll appreciate that this AMG GLC manages a sporty nature even without the V8.

The layout of the GLC’s cabin is distinctly driver-biased, with the center touchscreen, climate controls, and even the central bank of HVAC vents all angled toward that left front seat. The classic Mercedes door-mounted seat adjusters contribute to a sense that there are buttons everywhere, which is particularly prevalent in AMG models: There, the steering wheel gets an extra horizontal spoke, providing further real estate for additional controls. Both front seats offer heat and memory functions as standard. Front-seat ventilation can be added for a pretty reasonable $450, and heated rear seats for $500.

As we reported in 2023, the new GLC SUV offers 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space in the back, which expands to 59.3 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. That those specs are not spectacular is somewhat ameliorated by the convenience of the standard power-folding rear seats and the fact that they do lie flat. The GLC Coupe is, of course, tighter on the inside. It offers just 17.6 cubic feet of cargo volume with the back seats in place, not much better than some sedans (the Honda Accord’s trunk offers 16.7 cubic feet of storage). At least the Coupe’s hatchback-like interior configuration allows for 52.6 cubic feet of space when the rear seats are folded down.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC earned a Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), that institution’s highest honor. Its “Acceptable” rating for the standard front crash-prevention system was the only mark against it, and the optional upgraded version did earn the top score of “Good.” The vehicle tested was a GLC 300 SUV, so that score can be extrapolated to a certain extent, but it is important to note that factors like the Coupe’s sloping roofline and the AMG’s stiffer suspension could impact performance on some tests, if those variants were evaluated. No version of this second-generation GLC has been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as of this writing.

Standard safety features on the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and SUV include active brake assist, attention assist, blind-spot and exit warning assist, adaptive braking technology, and active parking assist. Pre-Safe, the automaker’s pre-collision system, is also standard; if it detects that a crash is imminent, it will tighten seatbelts, close the windows and moonroof (if equipped), and re-position the front passenger’s seat to best protect the vehicle’s occupants from impact. The version on the 2024 GLC also emits a “pink noise” sound through the audio system to trigger a response in passengers’ ear canals and help shut out the loud noises that often accompany an accident.

Like many luxury brands, Mercedes makes optional certain advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) that are offered standard in the consumer-grade vehicles that compete in larger pools. You would have to add the $1,950 Driver Assistance Package to get popular active and interventional safety features like adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, and active lane-keeping assist on the GLC 300 or the AMG GLC 43.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV starts at $48,600 in its base RWD form, including destination. Opting for AWD with the GLC 300 4Matic will add $2,000 to the price. Mercedes charges a premium of nearly $10,000 for sportback style, pricing the 2024 GLC Coupe at $58,150, though of course that does include standard AWD into the bargain. The 2024 AMG GLC 43, meanwhile, is in its own ballpark, with a base MSRP of $66,100 for the SUV or $71,750 for the Coupe. Our test vehicle’s sticker price came to $72,020 thanks to the $200 AMG twin 10-spoke wheels and the $4,300 Pinnacle package. We could happily do without the AR navigation, but the Burmester sound system and Transparent Hood feature would have us tempted to pony up.

Though they’re a bit less abundant than their more affordable counterparts, there are still a ton of small luxury SUVs to choose from. Primary rivals for the GLC SUV include the Audi Q5 at $46,495, the Genesis GV70 at $46,500, the BMW X3 at $47,895, and the Lexus RX at $49,950. This context places the GLC near the higher end of the spectrum, but it’s worth noting that $3,000 is a pretty narrow spread, and the Mercedes entry is not topping it out. It also does better on fuel economy than similarly equipped examples of those other models, scoring 29 mpg combined in the RWD GLC 300 SUV, 27 with AWD, and 21 with the AMG powertrain.

Competitors for the more expensive and less practical GLC Coupe are somewhat fewer. If you really want that raked roof in this price range, we’d point to the Infiniti QX55 at $51,500, the Audi Q5 Sportback at $53,395, and the BMW X4 at $55,995. In this form-over-function cohort, the GLC is notably pricier, but a quick glance at the Porsche Cayenne Coupe will make it look quite reasonable.

BMW may have the “ultimate driving machine” trademark, and we could make a spirited argument for the X3’s performance in comparison to the GLC’s. But in many hearts and minds, Mercedes-Benz represents the pinnacle of the automobile. The three-pointed star has long been equated with wealth and success, and Mercedes has done nothing with this new GLC to detract from the standard it had already set at the price point. If the Benz approach to luxury at the C-Class level appeals to you, we see no reason you shouldn’t go for it with the GLC.