The 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC has been revealed with a new five-function off-road system.

THE 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLC has been revealed and Mercedes is claiming it to be a huge leap ahead of the previous-generation model. It boasts more advanced safety systems, tweaked air suspension and all-wheel drive control units as well as improved fuel consumption (cut by 19%). Mercedes-Benz says this new GLC will provide design inspiration for future Mercedes-Benz SUVs.

“Our new GLC represents a further, systematic step in the implementation of our successful SUV philosophy. It combines the ultimate in driving comfort with a sporty touch, impresses on the road and – more than ever – off it as well, and appeals to the eye with the new design and equipment line,” says Thomas Weber, member of the Management Board of Daimler AG and responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

As you can see from the pictures, the new GLC looks good, or, as Mercedes-Benz describes it: “self confident”. Hmmm. “The bumpers with integrated underguard come in three variants: in addition to the base version there is a version optimised for off-road use with a larger angle of approach/departure, plus a particularly sporty AMG variant”.

From the side, the GLC has a coupe esque profile. The vehicle’s wheelbase has grown by 118mm which improves approach and departure angles, but more importantly allows for more interior room. Comparison of key interior dimension changes:

For those looking to take their GLC off-road… there is an optional Off-Road Engineering package that bolts-on to the DYNAMIC SELECT handling system. The off-road package offers five ‘terrain’ settings: “Slippery; Off-road which is designed for easy off-road terrain such as gravel or sand tracks; Incline which boosts climbing capabilities on steep ramps or long, slow uphill stretches. And, in conjunction with AIR BODY CONTROL air suspension, the additional Rocking Assist program offers the last resort, should the vehicle get stuck. Here the driving level is raised by 50 millimetres and the wheel-slip control thresholds are increased so as to enable the GLC to work its way free. The fourth off-road program, Trailer, is designed for optimum trailer towing off-road and facilitates moving off on wet grassland, for example. The Off-Road Engineering package further includes a robust Gemtex underride guard, which takes the stress out of heavy ground contact as on the previous model, and Downhill Speed Regulation. The system, which goes by the abbreviated name of DSR, automatically maintains the speed which has been pre-set on the cruise control on steep downhill stretches”.

All GLC models feature 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive with a basic drive torque split of 45 to 55% between front and rear axle. A multiple-disc clutch in the centre differential assists the system in the event of “really low friction coefficients” between tyre and road, for example on snow or ice. A basic locking force of 50Nm between the front and rear axles brings about a significant increase in traction with the same high level of driving stability.

Mercedes-Benz Australia is yet to make a statement about the GLC locally, and we’ll update this article as more information comes to hand.