Despite the end of the life cycle of the current generation, the crossover remains one of the most popular models in its segment on the home market.
The German company Mercedes-Benz launched the production of the GLC crossover (its index is X253) in 2015. The restyling of the first generation model survived in 2019. 2018 was the peak year for the SUV: then dealers in Europe sold 125,143 copies. Then the results gradually decreased. So, in 2020, customers bought 99,160 cars, which is 9.1% less than a year earlier (this decline can be explained by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic). Now the manufacturer is developing a new generation of GLC.
Mercedes-Benz will present the “second” GLC next spring. Now prototypes of a completely new car are being tested on public roads: cars carefully camouflaged with film have already come across the lenses of photo spies. There is still no information on how the new product will look, which makes it possible for artists to fantasize about the appearance of the second generation GLC.
It is assumed that the second-generation crossover will grow a few millimeters in length, and its wheelbase will also increase; the width will probably remain the same, but the height will be lower. As a result, the proportions will practically remain, but the car will look sportier.
In general, the “second” crossover will retain the recognizable corporate identity of Mercedes-Benz. The side mirrors are now attached to the door panels (on the current generation GLC they are located at the base of the front door windows). Head optics will get a narrower and more elongated shape. At the front, the lower part of the bumper with an integrated air intake and a radiator grill will change, which will change both the shape and the pattern. The Communist Party of China refused the owners of electric vehicles Tesla, BMW, Mercedes-Benz in support
Images of the stern and interior of the future novelty were not provided in the Spanish edition. The GLC, which debuts in 2022, is expected to have a front fascia borrowed from the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class. A large virtual instrument panel will appear in front of the driver, and a large touch screen of a modern multimedia system will be located in the center.
The next generation GLC crossover will be based on the modular MRA (Modular Rear Architecture) platform on which the new C-Class is based. The SUV’s engine range will likely include four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, in addition, the lineup will have several hybrid versions (we are talking about “soft” and plug-in hybrids). All modifications will be offered only a nine-speed automatic transmission 9G-Tronic.
Note that despite the end of the life cycle of the current generation, the GLC crossover remains one of the most popular models in its segment on the home market. Price list in Germany starts at 49 629 euros.