Choosing a car for long journey along the route Moscow - Minsk - Riga - Tallinn - St. Petersburg - Moscow in winter, when one day snow can fall in huge flakes, and on another the route suddenly becomes covered with ice, Gazeta.Ru correspondents came to the conclusion that it will be calmer on all-wheel drive SUV. The choice fell on Mercedes-Benz GLC The Coupe, which has been on sale in Russia since last fall, was considered a worthy new product among connoisseurs of the brand. Let’s be honest, during this time we simply fell in love with the special edition GLC 250 4MATIC SUV, but to maintain decency we will try to restrain our feelings.

Noble Prestige

The phrase " Mercedes SUV"causes an association with something incredibly expensive and large. However, the figure is 3.69 million rubles for an all-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe 250 with a 2-liter engine producing 211 hp. and 9-speed automatic transmission transmissions in modern realities seemed very attractive compared to what competitors offer.

Alina Raspopova/Gazeta.Ru

The first thing you had to prepare for when you found yourself behind the wheel of a snow-white Mercedes-Benz was increased attention from both pedestrians and drivers. Especially Audi and BMW - it’s incredible how zealously owners of direct competitors like to defend their choice.

In the parking lot, on the highway, at the gas station, be prepared for the approval of modest observers and the desire to measure strength from owners of cars of other Big Three models.

However, such an attitude cannot spoil the mood. Just the slam of a closed door instantly transports you to the world of the three-rayed star. Incredibly comfortable, slightly reminiscent of sports seats, a representative interior, premium finishes and attention to detail that shines through in every stitch. Sitting in the GLC Coupe and looking out at the world through the windshield makes you feel like life is good. To prove this, it is not at all necessary to drive around the city, collecting fines or organizing races broadcast on Periscope.

Discreet pride, no need to prove anything to anyone - this all fits into the philosophy of the brand, which you imbue with the speed of how the SUV responds to pressing the gas pedal.

The only thing you have to get used to when driving a Mercedes is the unusual switching of driving modes. There is simply no conventional gearbox - speeds must be selected using a button on the lever located on the steering wheel on the right. At first it seems very unusual. But after a couple of days, having become more alert, you begin to appreciate the freed-up space between driver and passenger. There are convenient drawers and a remote control for vehicle systems, on which you can even write the necessary commands with your finger.

The GLC Coupe, with a length of more than 4.7 m, is devoid of any hint of heaviness - it looks very neat. The coupe is approximately 8cm longer and 4cm lower than the estate GLC with which it shares its base. Optionally, two suspension options are available with continuously adjustable shock absorber stiffness

Alina Raspopova/Gazeta.Ru

The GLC Coupe takes care of the rest - you can turn on your favorite music that flows from speaker system Burmester surround sound, place your belongings in the spacious trunk and hit the road.

Full defender

You want to live in the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and use it 100% - as a means of transportation, as a mobile office and as a partner on a long journey. Therefore, having connected all the gadgets and configured navigation system, we immediately moved on to analyzing assistants on the road. Firstly, there is a very convenient head-up display that shows your speed and reads road signs— this data seems to hover before your eyes.

But here you need to be careful: speed limits abroad may differ from those in Russia, but the signs, for example “highway”, are the same - you can fall into a trap.

Comfort driving mode can be selected using the already mentioned Dynamic Select switch on the center console. Depending on the selected mode, the corresponding characteristics of the engine, transmission, chassis and steering are set. The standard set is Comfort, in which it is most pleasant to spend most of the journey, economical Eco and Sport. In the latter case, the settings for the behavior of the steering wheel and gearbox change, the suspension becomes stiffer, and the accelerator pedal becomes even more responsive. And you can practically turn this coupe into a sports car by switching it to Sport+ mode.

Alina Raspopova/Gazeta.Ru

To save fuel, there is a Start/Stop system that works very delicately and unnoticed. At the same time, the two-liter 211-horsepower engine works very harmoniously, providing the car with the desired dynamics at any time and under any conditions. It is capable of accelerating the car to 222 km/h, acceleration to hundreds takes 7.3 seconds.

Fuel consumption is more than acceptable - about 9.5 liters of gasoline per 100 km.

If there are more than one thousand kilometers ahead, then it’s worth setting up intelligent cruise control. It is he who will save you from the routine work of pedals. Choose desired speed, And smart car will support it, reset it before slower ones vehicles and accelerate again when it becomes possible. If the speed limit is violated, Mercedes will again warn you.

The lane tracking system correctly reads the lane markings and steers elegantly, helping you delicately navigate turns.

If you think about it and start to leave the lane, the system will attract your attention with vibrations in the steering wheel. And this is just a little of what this “German” can do. Traffic jam systems, improved and emergency braking, blind spot monitoring - you very quickly begin to perceive all these elements as a given and a practical necessity. If you've been driving for too long, Mercedes will remind you of this with a corresponding icon on the display and offer to find the nearest cafe or gas station. And in emergency situations The coupe will tighten its seat belts and close the windows, emphasizing that your life and comfort are its most important goal.

All of the listed assistants, of which there may in fact be even more, turned out to be very useful on long stretches of the journey. For example, the journey from Moscow to Minsk in winter will take about eight hours. By the way, I haven’t encountered any passport control yet. You can get from Minsk to Riga via Vilnius a little faster, but a lot depends on the weather. Yes and speed limits here they are already more strict. The most tedious part of the journey is, perhaps, the journey from St. Petersburg to the capital. Due to the fact that for now new route not completed, you basically have to go through settlements with traffic lights. And faster than 9-10 hours without traffic violations difficult to get there. But the GLC Coupe was able to brighten up even this situation. It is worth noting that many systems are optional, that is, you will have to pay extra for them, and the price tag will no longer look so attractive. But it is still possible to find a balance between beauty, practicality and safety.

Mercedes-Benz weighed for a long time whether to respond to the BMW X6, but once decided, the Swabians agreed without hesitation green light and the project more compact GLC Coupe, anti-BMW X4.

Pushing the poles apart

The appearance for the SUV Coupe, this hybrid of a hippopotamus and a tremulous doe, is everything! But it is also true that there is no debate about forms. The Bavarians like two-seater coupes with their roofs that slope sharply towards the short rear, and BMW transfers this formula to the X6/X4, which are longer than the base X5/X3 by a few millimeters. Swabians prefer the stretched, sloping roofs of large coupes, and therefore the GLC Coupe (coded C253) in the longitudinal dimension has outgrown the regular GLC by a significant 76 mm, and all of them are completely at the rear. If we hang on this overall “frame” the characteristic stylistic elements of modern Mercedes-Benz coupe, having thrown out frameless doors that increase the cost of the design and create unnecessary problems with sound insulation of the interior, you will get a very good subject, as the example of the GLE Coupe has already convinced. Actually, C253, as required by intra-family subordination, follows his older brother, perhaps using steroids with a little more caution.

You will say that BMW or Porsche with their X6/X4 and Cayenne/Macan do about the same. Perhaps. And yet, it was the Swabians, who later turned to the SUV Coupe path later than their direct competitors, who followed the principle. Mercedes-Benz first among premium Germans (albeit much later than Infiniti with its EX) openly admitted: the owners of these 100% fashion cars drive off the asphalt only at gunpoint, which, of course, happens, but still not every day. If so, the ground clearance with the basic suspension can be “cut” from the GLC’s 181 to 155 mm (and this without installed crankcase protection), and the ramp angle can be compressed to 13.4° or a degree less than that of a microcar smart ForTwo new. Not enough? Well, then shell out 178,628 rubles. 40 kopecks for the air suspension, which at maximum will allow the GLC Coupe’s ground clearance to be raised to the German standard of ≈200 mm. However, there is a much more compelling reason for such an acquisition. But more about her later. In the meantime, we must admit: the C253, on which, in addition to the decorative underbody protection that comes as standard, you can install quite real aluminum running boards, but not the technical off-road package from the GLC, has pushed the off-road pole far away. And is it reckless?

So similar, so different

Getting a bonus non-stick frying pan for finding a dozen differences between the GLC Coupe and GLC isn't as easy as it sounds. Yes, the C253 looks more streamlined, although the coefficient aerodynamic drag still 0.31. A miniscule value when compared with 0.36 Porsche Macan(0.33-0.35 for the BMW X4), but the Swabians do not need bare numbers, but results. This means that double side glazing appears on the list of options, with which the GLC Coupe is a soundproofing chamber itself. Well, or almost. The length of the C253 did not in any way affect the turning circle, 11.8 m. Does the larger GLE Coupe have the same? Take it for granted: this is the unspoken standard for mid-size premium SUVs. Just as traditionally, their coupe versions are inferior to the basic, “universal” (if available), in terms of capacity cargo compartment, and the GLC Coupe is no exception. But to give up at least a liter to your “bosom friend”, X4? Not my God! Here the Macan, walking on its own, can be allowed to come off by 100 liters in a two-seater configuration, and the “British” Jaguar F-Pace – by almost 200. And this is with stowage in the underground cargo compartment of the Jag. The “Germans”, put on a strict weight diet, only have a can of sealant. Do you want additional anti-puncture insurance? Order run-flat tires with reinforced sidewalls. However, from 2017, a so-called “folding” stowage will be offered for the regular GLC, but for the GLC Coupe, which does not break ties with civilization, this is considered overkill. Fortunately, the fuel tank of the 220 d/250 d versions has not been increased from European 50 to the maximum possible 66 l for Russian market. The GLC is exactly the same. The tape measure records the parity between relatives and the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of the cabin. However, the C253 is 38 mm lower than its “cousin” not only due to the grounded ground clearance. To prevent the compartment roof from putting pressure on the riders' heads, the Swabians called on the vertical to help: they reduced the angles of the pillars windshield and the back of the sofa, which is now quite suitable for correcting stooped figures. This, in fact, is almost the only difference between the interiors of the GLC Coupe/GLC, because even the ceiling handles, unlike the GLE Coupe, were not “cut down”.

The quality of workmanship and the level of safety/comfort systems in the GLC Coupe are premium without any discounts.

Wait, but where does the extra charge of at least half a million rubles for the “parallel” versions of the C253 come from?! In a way, this is a Swabian tradition started by the GLE Coupe. And yet, stop shouting: “Guard! They're robbing us! Although, when compared with the price list for the X4, the first reaction is exactly that. For the Bavarian, two of the six versions available in Russia do not reach the 3,000,000 ruble mark, the luxury tax trigger. There are no such “democrats” in the GLC Coupe line. Just as there are no options with “mechanics”, which is offered for the X4 xDrive20d. And it’s difficult to call the BMW model a premium package even with top motorization options. In order to somehow get closer to the level of equipment of the GLC Coupe, the Bavarian will need the optional “M-Sport” or “Exclusive” packages for 430,000-560,000 rubles. And this is a completely different arithmetic! But what about the price gap between the C253 and the GLC? Here, too, not everything can be attributed to the arbitrariness of swindling marketers: a number of high-tech options have been transferred to the category of standard equipment. The lists of custom equipment are not identical twins either. Yes, due to the shape of the body, the C253 was left without roof rails (which does not prevent the installation of an upper trunk) and panoramic roof, but for petrol versions a sports version is available exhaust system. This is a coupe!

Two speeds

The classic dynamics of the GLC Coupe were copied from the GLC. The weight of the “parallel” versions of the models is the same or close to it. Engine recoil? No discrepancies. AKP9 gear ratios too. The C253, following the example of the GLE Coupe, did not receive a second “manual” gearbox mode with locking up and kick-down range switching. So where does the difference come from? And, at first glance, it really doesn’t exist. The 220 d (from RUB 3,720,000) that was absent from the test with a 170-horsepower turbo engine, acceleration from zero to “hundreds” in 8.3 seconds and a “top speed” of 210 km/h looks convincing. Its older brother in the solar-eating family, the 204-horsepower 250 d (7.6 s/222 km/h), is generally a quiet horror. Quiet, because it disguises its diesel nature to the point of indecentness, and horror, because the huge 500 Nm of thrust from the very bottom turns it into an absolute favorite in races from traffic lights, while the price is from 3,890,000 rubles. - in the most expensive GLC Coupe with turbo-fours. Another thing is that outside the city the fervor of this version is fading. Here is a petrol 211-horsepower 250 (7.3 s/222 km/h) with a starting price of 3,660,000 rubles. universal. And yet not to such an extent as to deprive the meaning of the “three hundredth” (from 3,850,000 rubles) on light fuel. The top non-liter version with a 245-horsepower 2.0-liter engine (6.5 s/236 km/h) accelerates much more quickly from 110-120 km/h when overtaking on highways, and when the automatic transmission is switched to “Sport+” mode, such a GLC Coupe can even be suspected of using “Ozverin”, the response to pressing the gas pedal becomes so sharp.

Great! But where does the “second” speed of the C253 come from? Fortunately, there are still roads in the world where chassis settings decide more than engine output. And the GLC Coupe has some trump cards here. So, it gets the sports suspension “in the base”, and not as an option, like just the GLC. However, evaluation of the chassis of these C253s is postponed, since the organizers selected only versions with optional active shock absorbers for testing. Their combination with steel springs already gives the result of a solid “four”. The GLC Coupe with proprietary multi-chamber pneumatic elements gets the score missing from “excellent”. This suspension, even in the “Sport+” mode and in combination with “19-inch” tires, perfectly smoothes out coarse-grained asphalt, joints and minor surface defects by Russian standards, and even allows speed bumps to pass without a whisper. However, as Axel Benzeler, the project's curator, told me, the settings of the two options active suspension GLC/GLC Coupe are the same. General standard also used in the “integral” 4Matic transmission (traction distribution along the axles 45:55). A more driving proportion of 31:69 is reserved for the AMG versions of the “cousins” with a 367-horsepower V6. Fact, Mercedes-Benz engineers could offer an intermediate option for the non-literal C253, say, 37:63, but this would be too reminiscent of the temperature during acute respiratory infections.

Rounded rear window without a “windshield wiper” (it is replaced by air flow), narrow lights, a license plate niche moved to the bumper - the GLC Coupe meets the new Swabian coupe standard set by the S-Class Coupe.

What if there is no fever? The already lower center of gravity of the GLC Coupe gives a better feeling of the car, and the loading height has been increased to 824 mm versus 720 mm for the simple GLC, not only to pump up the owners’ muscles, but also for the sake of greater body rigidity in the rear. Well, the card through which the coupe solitaire finally took shape was the “sharpening” of the steering wheel. The Swabians, looking at the gear ratios of the “steering wheels” of the regular GLC and AMG versions (16.1:1/14.1:1), immediately realized which option suggested itself - 15.1:1. So, without a radical redesign of the design, only with the help of verified point measures, the C253 was endowed with compartment-like speed of reactions. What, the base GLC isn't a chump either? Everything is relative…

Text: Mikhail Kozlov

It's good to be in the right place at the right time - but this is not said about Mercedes-Benz coupe-crossovers. When the first generation of the BMW X6 drove blondes in the post-Soviet space crazy, Mercedes could only offer them the “barn-shaped” ML. Not a single blonde wanted to look like a pensioner, so Mercedes lost the first round miserably. BMW coupe The X4 appeared two years earlier than the hero of today’s article - but in this situation, the GLC Coupe is just in time. The X4 is no longer a novelty and is hanging out in every beauty salon, so the guys from Mercedes-Benz can open the champagne? But what exactly to open - champagne or an ampoule with poison, we found out in Italy, during Mercedes-Benz test drive GLC Coupe.

For starters, he's just a handsome little guy: none of the extra weight of the GLE Coupe, trim and playful. For a city dweller, the dimensions will be a pleasant plus: 4732 mm, there should be no problems with parking.

Although the rear of coupe crossovers is one big parking problem. It is absolutely impossible to see anything other than makeup in the rearview mirror. But the situation is easily solved with the help of all-round cameras and an automatic parking system. We advise owners of the GLC Coupe to order all this stuff: rear visibility has fallen victim to style.

But the guys from Mercedes-Benz confidently report that in the process of turning the GLC into a coupe, the trunk volume was almost not affected: 491-1205 liters, they say, you can even carry a bicycle. Looking at the velvet upholstery of the trunk and the shiny bicycle specially allocated for display, you can imagine how you put a dirty bike into a brand new GLC Coupe after a rainy ride. I don’t regret what they say, I don’t call, I don’t cry - to be honest, the trunk cannot be called super spacious. And this is another problem with coupe-crossovers: God simply doesn’t give them liters luggage compartment, everyone leaves Lada Largus.

In profile - good! Beautiful car

But the GLC Coupe looks good - “sheds” are sold in another department, here even the “C” series body, which according to internal factory designations is listed as a “coupe”. But the world has gone crazy anyway: the coupe is now an all-wheel drive car with four doors, and under the hood of the GLC 250 there is a two-liter gasoline engine. That is, no respect for classification.

The salon is a clear success of the creators. There is not a hint of German tediousness and severity - it feels like the Italians did the interior design

Especially for those tired of madness modern world Mercedes-Benz offers a luxurious interior: at least something is unshakable on this earth. Having slipped on the excessive “plasticity” of the W211 interior, the Germans then came together - and made some of the most stylish and quality salons on the planet. Looks expensive, feels expensive - good interior, now it’s clear why some equipment packages cost like the already mentioned Lada Largus.

Acceleration diesel version The 350d is impressive: fluff and hurricane, such sensations are caused by pressing the gas pedal hard

Now, gentlemen, let's go! Under the hood is a very fiery diesel engine: 257 hp. versions of the 350d Coupe will show Kuzka’s mother to anyone you want. And in this version, the GLC Coupe really looks like a good coupe: you can “pile up” faster than almost all of your downstream neighbors. If Rudolf Diesel were alive, he would think that the devil had taken possession of his brainchild: under the predatory rumbling, diesel claims that the song of engines internal combustion not yet sung. If Karl Benz were alive, he would have thought that Mercedes-Benz's true values ​​were intact: the GLC Coupe is most like a coupe in sportplus mode. All other operating modes of the car are for those who have experienced life and are in no hurry.

After all, as soon as you stop rushing, here it is, a classic Mercedes-Benz in all its glory. The sound insulation is such that you can hear the crunch of a freshly ironed shirt - okay, I’ve never owned a shirt, but the sound insulation is really very good. The smoothness of the optional air suspension is also not bad: however, until a hole with sharp edges appears. Then the car shudders with its entire body and hints that the suspension here is more likely from a coupe than from a crossover. All this is familiar from a car with the same chassis, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

Newton also proved that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree - that's why the GLC Coupe is strikingly similar to other new ones Mercedes-Benz models. It's just as responsive to road surface quality as the C-Class, it's just as quiet as the C-Class, and... it's still a little different: it's actually more lively than the regular GLC. The steering wheel is “sharper”, the reactions are faster, there’s a little bit everywhere – so you get a sharp sports coupe?

Not quite like that: it turned out to be a Mercedes-Benz. The car is still comfortable, still relaxing, still thoughtful - this is the ideology of the brand. Therefore, it is still better for the fast and fussy to order the AMG version, or pay attention to competitors. Compared to the Porsche Macan and Jaguar F-Pace, they will be “sharper”. But they won’t have the same level of comfort, so their closest ideological rival is the BMW X4. But it has already been produced for two years, it does not have the novelty factor. Therefore, in the case of the GLE Coupe, the verdict is this: sometimes it is better to be late than to make a false start. After all, the last to arrive at any party are the greatest.

We remember

Mercedes-Benz can be very different: the possibilities for customizing the interior are almost endless
It will be comfortable for two people in the rear seats: the amount of space is optimal
If the trunk seems small, you can fold down the rear seat backs. Just don’t say, “Hurray, the floor is flat, you can sleep.” Only children sleep in such cars - on the move
Big screen on the instrument panel it is high time to make it quick-detachable so that it can be handed over to children backseat, or take it with you for a walk. Or just hide it from vandals
If there is a six-cylinder diesel engine under the hood, the acceleration is excellent. But for “pure” handling you need to order a four-cylinder petrol engine. It's lighter, it makes taxiing better
Socket, mesh, luggage loops - it is noticeable that the creators tried their best to smooth out the loss of trunk volume

The coupe body was originally created for beauty. There were two full seats in the cabin, and the back row was intended to be defective. According to the standards of the Society of Automotive Engineers of the United States, the volume of the rear passenger compartment in a coupe cannot exceed 0.93 m3

M It wasn’t always interesting what motives drive people who create beautiful but uncomfortable cars? Tell me, isn't this idea absurd in itself? And it’s good that not all engineers wipe the dust at the feet of the goddess of beauty with their knees. There are also quite adequate ones. And even in Australia. For example, in 1932, a farmer's wife in Gippsland, Victoria, wrote the following letter to her local Ford Motor office: “Can you build a car that will take us to church on Sundays to keep out the rain, and deliver it on Mondays? does it carry pigs to market? The company decided that it was useless to argue with a woman, and a year later they created something purely Australian, attaching a pickup truck body to a classic coupe. The creative genius of these guys is amazing, although if you think about it, ideologically not much has changed.

There are people in front, pigs in the back. It seems that this has always been the case in a classic coupe, where the drunkest passenger was placed in the second row or those who agreed to obviously bestial conditions were seated.

ALEXANDER'S COURAGE

However, a coupe is not just beautiful car, this is your pass to a bright and cloudless world. This is a great way to legally refuse any dubious offers. The left seat is for me, the right one is for my friend. Are you my friend? Then maybe on foot? The owner of the coupe will never be approached by a neighbor with a request to bring linoleum from the construction market, he will calmly drive past the pine-smelling Christmas tree market, and nothing will force him to get a big dog, a summer house or a greenhouse. In a word, in the life of this happy person there is a lot of free time, which he can devote to contemplating the divine curves of his purchase. In Europe and the USA, individual hobbyists make garages in the basements of private houses not at all to save space, but to equip them with a lifting device. So that, sitting in the evening by the fireplace with a cigar and a glass of sherry, you can press a button, move the floor apart and lift into the living room that same indescribable beauty that at the beginning of the twentieth century was called the short word “coupe”. Our photographer Alexander told me this magical story. I don’t know if he can be trusted, but for about thirty years he has been methodically saving money for lifting device and a garage in the basement. However, he doesn’t have a coupe yet. A country house too. And he refused the fireplace himself.

The rear view camera is hidden in a discreet place, keeping it clear

DON'T FORGET TOMATOES

Unfortunately, the Mercedes-Benz GLC is not the traditional coupe we've been talking about for so long. This crossover is a product of clever marketing, just exploiting the cherished name. Therefore, when buying a GLC, you won't get everything that a classic coupe could give you. For example, there is as much space in the second row of seats as in the regular GLC, which the company simply calls an “SUV.” And above the head, and in the shoulders, and in the legs too. So you will no longer be able to humiliate your neighbors, friends and obsessive fellow travelers.

Moreover, in terms of dimensions, the coupe is even longer than the “SUV” by 80 mm. This means that it has a voluminous trunk and you will not be able to avoid tours to wholesale food markets and mushroom picking in the vicinity of Tver.

And this is not a joke at all! What can't happen to the owner of a fake coupe! Imagine: getting ready to go to the theater, he puts on a tuxedo, a bow tie, takes a cane... but suddenly a message arrives from his aunt in Voronezh asking him to urgently pick up cranberries and cucumbers. The evening is hopelessly ruined!

Steering wheel, engine and suspension settings can be changed according to the driver's wishes

CUTTING AND FRYING

But, unfortunately, a ruined evening is not the only problem. Let's take a look inside. So to speak, let's evaluate the interior (there is nothing to say about the exterior, since it is standard for today's corporate style of the brand). As written in the press release, the interior greets the driver with characteristic charm and a noble ambience, while the trim “combines sensual simplicity with dynamic sportiness and represents an impressive interpretation of the idea of ​​​​modern luxury.” To be honest, it looks more like a kitchen to me. Here you will find huge cutting knives, visible in the silhouettes of polished metal inserts, and diamond-shaped leather door stitching, perfect for kitchen stools, and a good wood tabletop on the center console, and air ducts in the form of a designer hood. In a word, it seems that the owner of the GLC coupe was born to cut and fry (211 hp and 7.3 seconds of acceleration to hundreds contribute to this). This is what the interior design hints at. There is no smell of elegance here. On the contrary, everything is quite concrete, and, of course, shiny. Where would a modern Mercedes be without this? And all these “nobility” and “charm” are from another opera.

ORDINARY STORY

After turning the key in the ignition and driving ten kilometers, you again will not feel anything refined. I'll try to explain this using a laptop as an example. When you buy an expensive laptop, you hardly expect it to talk or jump around on the table to entertain you, although at that price it could. It just has a body made of excellent material and High-End acoustics from renowned suppliers. It's the same at Mercedes. It drives quite standard and predictably. Each chassis element performs the function of supporting a certain middle level, spread across the entire model range of the company. I won’t say that this is unique to Mercedes. Other premium manufacturers have recently also not suffered from an overly creative approach to mechanical settings. However, it should be noted that BMW’s result is much more impressive, while Audi’s is much more intelligent. In addition, Mercedes engineers boast that using aluminum they made the body one of the lightest in the class, but if you look at the Jaguar F-Pace, with the same dimensions it is no heavier, quite the contrary.

Unlike classic coupes, there is plenty of free space in the back row.

Unfortunately, there is no spare wheel. All hope lies in the “runflat” technology

Seat adjustments are traditionally located on the door. Fans of the brand are happy
but the hand still reaches out to the side of the pillow, where there is only smooth skin

The decoration strongly resembles an expensive kitchen both in materials and shapes

The presence of air suspension is also puzzling.
Why does this fashionable toy need an off-road accessory?

Here you can clearly see the result of the operation of pneumatic elements.
The travel is not great, but it significantly increases cross-country ability in snowy ruts

THE MAGIC OF THE BRAND

The presence of air suspension is also puzzling. Why does this fashionable toy need an off-road accessory? To make it easier to get out of a snowdrift? Perhaps this is the only reason. In fact, not jumping on curbs in an expensive car is, excuse me, bad manners, and you can even get into trouble for evacuation. However, Mercedes does not ask itself such questions.

I am not one of the hypnotized adherents, so I think soberly, and my conclusion will be this: if you enjoy buying a laptop latest model, which is essentially the same as the others inside, but looks cooler and sounds good, then the Mercedes-Benz GLC will please you too. Do not doubt!

TECHNICAL DETAILS
The MB GLC Coupe is built in a monocoque body. The wheel suspension is independent front and rear, optionally with pneumatic elements that regulate ground clearance. Inline four-cylinder Gas engine located longitudinally. The transmission is nine-speed automatic. Drive permanent all-wheel drive with asymmetrical (45:55) center differential. Dynamic Select is also available with five driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. When selecting the “sport +” mode, the ground clearance of the version with air suspension is reduced by 15 mm. Steering with variable gear ratio, increased compared to the regular GLC.

With all the love for the Stuttgart brand, one cannot help but note the secondary nature of Mercedes “cross-coupes”: the silhouette can easily be confused with BMW. However, all modern smartphones are similar to the very first iPhone of 2007, which does not prevent Apple’s competitors from earning billions, having a lot of fans and endowing their devices with content completely different from iPhones. And, as a rule, only the most devoted “Jobs witnesses” and some inquisitive auto journalists who have a habit of looking for unusual analogies know about the iPhone’s primacy in the field of phones with “finger” control.

But we digress...

Exterior and interior

Price:

from 3,660,000 rubles

Even though the GLC is made according to the recipe set by the Bavarian “culinarians”, it still has its own style of lines: the contours are smooth, so the Mercedes does not look as sporty and aggressive as the X4. The “full face” was especially successful - an elegant “honeycomb” false radiator grille, a raised bumper... Even the “C-Class” headlights are not lost on the larger “face”. The profile is perhaps what is most familiar to us from its predecessors, but the rear roofline makes the car look more like a liftback than a coupe. As for me, in comparison with the Bavarian X4, the rear of the Mercedes is perceived as too “bloated” and heavy - even though the addition of 76 mm to the rear of the “original” GLC, in theory, should have made it more rapid and sloping. But this is Mercedes - there is a rational explanation for everything here. IN in this case– ergonomic.

The secret here is that the moderate slope of the roof and a well-placed sofa made it possible to organize sufficient space above the heads rear passengers– the “compartment” ceiling is practically invisible from the inside. To be more precise, it’s not as noticeable as BMW’s. This was achieved thanks to “understatement” back row seats, which also differs from those in the GLC in padding - as a result, the loss of 40 millimeters of height does not have such a painful effect on internal space. Thanks to this same lowering, sitting back did not turn into a test of spine flexibility - by the way, despite the fact that the doorway has become lower, the body panels of the doors themselves are identical to the GLC without the “coupe” prefix, only the frames have changed according to the new profile.

There is also quite enough legroom in the gallery (not least thanks to the recesses in the backs of the front seats), and the trunk is not much smaller than that of the classic five-door - 490 liters versus 550 liters. In general, the unification with the “source”, as can be seen, was maximum: despite the increased overall length, the wheelbase remained unchanged, and the track remained almost unchanged.

The interior design of the coupe has no innovations - it is no different from the GLC without the “Coupe” prefix, which, in turn, repeats the interior design passenger C-class. There is still no fully electronic instrument panel (available on the E-Class), and the central display traditionally looks like a tablet, added to the design after the design work was completed.

However, the analog panel with a color screen in the middle does not look obsolete, and the picture quality on the touchscreen does not cause cataracts - this, of course, does not justify the design features, but relegates them to the background. In addition, you have to work a lot with the display - there are a minimum of keys, almost all functions are displayed on the screen of the multimedia system, so very soon you stop perceiving it as a separate element.

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The wide front seats are calmingly good - they are comfortable in seating and luxurious in appearance, especially in top-end configuration with Designo salon.

The interior design interspersed with wood, carbon fiber, aluminum and leather completes the blissful picture of perception: those who are buying a Mercedes not for the first time will be calm - everything here is “in the best traditions of the brand.”

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In move

The prefix “Coupe” in the name clearly hints not only at a more squat and graceful body, but also at an increased concentration of “sportiness” in behavior. And it really is here: already in the basic version, the GLC Coupe is equipped with a sports suspension, for which you will have to pay extra in its “regular” brother. Moreover, there are two sports suspensions – Dynamic Body Control and Air Body Control.

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The first one sounds more exotic than it looks - it is a spring suspension, but not quite ordinary, but with active shock absorbers. The second, as you can guess from the name, has air cylinders - which means that by default it should be softer and more comfortable. In practice, everything turns out like this, but adjusted by 50% - and not at all because the multi-chamber “pneumatics” stands out so strikingly against the background of the spring “base,” but precisely because of the balanced operation of the latter.

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At the same time, Air Body Control looks great “” - those who buy an image cross-coupe in order to look great are unlikely to choose 16-inch wheels for the sake of comfort, but will confidently fork out for large wheels and air suspension, which will smooth out “ lack of tires." Those who are going not only to look good, but also to travel a lot, will be able to “do without air” without losing consciousness and intervertebral discs.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe 250 4MATIC
Consumption per 100 km

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe

Brief technical specifications

Dimensions (L x W): 4,656 × 2,096 mm Wheelbase: 2,873 mm Acceleration to 100 km/h: from 5.9 to 8.3 s Maximum speed: 210 - 235 km/h Gearbox: 9G-Tronic/7G-Tronic Emission class: Euro-6

The first Coupe I tested was the GLC with an in-line diesel four - by the way, it should just be the “entry” engine. The combination of a high-torque and “smooth” engine with a modern nine-speed “automatic” 9G-Tronic in motion gives a very complacent impression - the diesel is quiet (partly because it does not need to be “twisted”), responsive and does not force its partner to once again demonstrate its entire arsenal gears If we remember about the “travelers” from the previous paragraph, they will probably choose this particular option as the only correct one - especially taking into account its aristocratic moderation of appetite.

I change into a GLC 300 with four cylinders, but already burning gasoline to produce 245 hp. With. on wheels - and suddenly I remember that the Coupe, compared to the “original”, also has a shortened steering rack! The ratio of 15.1:1 instead of 16.1:1 does not promise drama in handling, but it has its weight - but this weight was felt only when the opportunity arose to drive a little more fun. True, the fun here comes at the expense of peace: the gasoline engine is not so flexible, and allowing you to get more acceleration, it also requires increased diligence from the gearbox. You should also press the gas pedal wisely - sometimes the response to your request may be too violent.