Mercedes is still the king of premium car sales, and crossovers or SUVs have played an increasingly large role in that. After a very successful first generation, the brand is looking to launch the all-new GLC-Class with even better features and styling over the next year.
The test prototypes in Germany have just begun to remove their camouflage as the 2022 Mercedes GLC continues its development around Stuttgart. And to see what’s going on, I’ve been kicking it old school with some spy videos from the famous spotter Walko Art, who we’ve been following for about a decade now.
At the beginning of the month, this massive convoy of five GLC mules was spotted in traffic. They have most of their camouflage still on, which indicates that its debut is many months away. Thus, the X254 generation should be a 2023 model year and could debut as late as next year in the States.
We’ve seen the second-gen GLC throughout its development and know it’s much larger with potentially 3 or 4 inches of extra wheelbase. This is because premium SUV/crossover customers have a choice of big family vehicles from Cadillac or Acura. However, through extensive use of aluminum construction, size gains won’t be accompanied by weight increases.
What Engine Does the 2023 Mercedes GLC have?
The design seen on Walko’s camouflaged prototypes can be clearly seen in the pair of renderings created by Kolesa. They’ve accurately depicted how the 2023 Mercedes GLC-Class sports a much wider rear end and a hood that comes down to the nose, a bit like the EQS. This could be linked to a new EQC all-electric model.
Speaking of electric, all the powertrains should be shared with the C-Class sedan/wagon, so we know what a few of them are. Only two models should be offered in America, the GLC 300 and the 300 4Matic, both offering a 48V mild-hybrid 2.0-liter turbo with 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.
On top of this, there could be two types of performance models, though it’s purely speculative at this point. The Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 is supposed to have a 2.0-liter turbo, just like the one on the CLA 45, producing about 380-400 horsepower.
Meanwhile, the GLC 63’s iconic 4.0-liter V8 will give way to a plug-in hybrid GLC 53e. Nobody is happy about that, But it could make about 450 hp and get better gas mileage. Those V8 AMGs are cool, but it sucks 15 mpg all the time, especially with current gas prices.
As for the interior, the 2023 Mercedes GLC is expected to be two generations above the old model, which had outdated screens when it came out. It will skip the dual screens of the E-Class and just get the new MBUX with a large tablet on the dash, plus things like augmented reality and a high level of autonomous driving.
