Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe review

First things first, it’s not actually as cramped in the back as you might have feared. It feels dark and closed-in because there’s so little light getting in past the standard tinted glass and pathetic rear window, but if you absolutely had to seat a six-foot tall adult behind a driver of the same build, it’s doable. They’ll have to slouch a tad, and quiffs may be flattened slightly, but headroom is adequate and there’s enough legroom to get comfy. You won’t want to ride in the middle rear seat for long as it’s raised a little taller, but at least Mercedes fit five seats as standard, instead of insisting this is a ‘coupe’ and plumping for four seats only.

More technology is the order of the day for the facelift. Take the new 5.5-inch screen in the instrument binnacle, which is standard across the range. Wow your friends with its warren of submenus and digi-dials! Impress your loved ones with the touch-sensitive pads on the steering wheel! Well, that’s day one. Even with familiarity, there’s no denying the glitzier instruments are fiddlier to navigate than the old version was.

It’s a similar story with the main 10.25-inch infotainment screen. Oh, the screen resolution is pin-sharp and loading times between the functions are barely perceptible. But by replacing the tactile clickwheel with a touchpad and now touch-sensitive screen, scrolling between menus now needs several taps and swipes where once it was a mere clickety-click of the ratcheted selector away.

Maybe it pleases the smartphone-literate in a showroom. But out on the road, it’s a retrograde step for usability. In better news, the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice assistant can help shortcut some of the trickier aspects of operating the system by taking verbal orders. Just bear in mind it’s always listening. Always.