Mercedes-Benz GLC (2016-2022) review

Yep, you’re in a C-Class really. Told you it was just a jacked-up estate. That means, spoiler alert, that the updates to the GLC’s cabin are carried over wholesale from the C-Class facelift we reviewed earlier in the year. And the news, we’re afraid, is by no means a clean-sweep.

More technology is the order of the day. 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.

Space is plentiful, both for occupants and oddment storage. The boot is a grand size and the tailgate opens and closes electrically. It’s not ground-breaking, but it’s a useful family car that makes good on its footprint’s girth.