Mercedes-Benz is set to replace their compact SUV, the GLK, with an all-new GLC. Unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show as the Concept GLC Coupé guise, the GLC will also spawn a “regular” five-door format (to be revealed afterwards), similar to the bigger brother GLE and GLE Coupé.
If you’re wondering what a GLK is, it was never offered in right-hand drive form hence it was never offered here in Malaysia but fans of Sex and the City might have seen the GLK driven by Samantha Jones in the movie.
Unlike the GLK, the new GLC is going to be available in right-hand drive form, so we can look forward for it to arrive on our shores in the near future. Measuring 4,727 mm long with 2,827 mm wheelbase, 2,000 mm wide, and 1,593 mm tall, the Concept GLC Coupé has its target locked on the BMW X4, and Mercedes said the Concept GLC Coupé is pretty much production-ready bar some minor detailing.
With muscular stance and shallow glass area inherited from the bigger GLE Coupé, the GLC Coupé plays the same theme but depicted in a smaller package. The bulging bonnet with twin powerdomes are presented here together with the huge and upright front grille, while the rugged black cladding runs underneath the whole car, covering the bumpers, wheel arches, and side skirts.
The shape of the LED lights front and back also follows the bigger GLE Coupé, while the side profile features the sleek sloping roof and huge 21-inch wheels. Although, some design elements might not make it to the production version of the GLE Coupé, such as the flushed door handles, the side mirrors, and the staggered quad tailpipes.
Underneath the Concept bodywork is a rather normal powertrain. The Concept GLC Coupé is powered by a 3.0-litre twin-trurbo V6 coupled with a 9G-TRONIC nine-speed automatic transmission sending 367 hp and 520 Nm to the 4MATIC permanent all-wheel drive system. We can expect the same powertrain to be featured in the production GLC Coupé, while a range of smaller 4-cylinder engines are likely to join the rest of the GLC range.
There’s no mention on the exact production date of the GLC, but the Concept GLC Coupé made its debut at the ongoing 2015 Shanghai Motor Show.
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