2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300

Some compact luxury crossovers can seem like cynically created cash cows, seemingly thrown together using parts from sportier cars or fancier SUVs its makers produced first (and would rather be making). The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class is not one of them. It looks, feels and drives like a fully realized member of the Mercedes family. Its styling, despite being subtly updated for 2020, looks like it belongs to the car it was designed for, rather than a corporate face being slapped onto an otherwise generic shape. The interior, though not of the latest Mercedes design trend, is nevertheless handsome to behold, luxurious to touch and technologically advanced thanks to an infusion of the new MBUX interface and features for 2020. Admittedly, there are roomier vehicles in the segment. There are cheaper ones, too. However, the GLC's well-rounded nature, well-balanced driving experience and genuinely luxurious interior help justify that cost. There's value in quality. There's also something to be said for variety, as the GLC also offers an abundance of options to ensure customization and four engine choices that include the bread-and-butter turbo four-cylinder, an enhanced-for-2020 plug-in hybrid and the bonkers, V8-powered AMG GLC 63. There's a little something excellent for everyone.  What's new for 2020? The GLC gets its first comprehensive update since it debuted for 2016. The GLC 300 gets a more powerful 2.0-liter inline-four (up 14 horsepower) and the next-generation 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. The GLC 43 also gets a 23-hp boost. The GLC 350e plug-in hybrid gets a bigger battery pack that brings with it more range and quicker acceleration. The exterior of all versions has been tweaked rather imperceptibly, but it's the interior that gets the bigger update. The design is the same, classy place it's always been, but the fitment of Mercedes' latest MBUX tech interface as standard results in a bigger display stuck to the dash and a square, leather-like touchpad in place of the old glossy plastic pad hovering over a rotary wheel. You can also now fit a 12.3-inch all-digital instrument panel, while all of the latest Mercedes tech advancements that go with MBUX like wireless charging and augmented video for the navigation system are available as well. The optional adaptive cruise control has also been "upgraded" with automated responses to speed limit signs and GPS input. You can thankfully turn it off (see Safety section). What's the GLC's interior and in-car technology like? It may not have the current Mercedes aesthetic on display in the new GLB-Class, but newer doesn't necessarily mean better. The GLC cabin remains special with its broad, waterfall-like center console of real wood trim, high-end switchgear and snazzy rotary airvents. The standard MBTex vinyl upholstery will fool your friends into thinking it's the real stuff – distinctively, you can even get it colorful hues. The AMG models add Dynamica faux suede upholstery and red seatbelts, but like every GLC, you can upgrade to real leather. Adding to the ambience a bit for 2020 is the addition of the MBUX …
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