BMW 218i vs Mercedes-Benz GLC200

What's the difference?

Sometimes a name change can make all the difference.

Google used to be called “Back Rub”. The Spice Girls started off as “Touch”. And – particularly in Germany – some premium sedans became known as “coupes”, as they struggled to stay popular against SUVs.

Case in point: what is essentially a 1 Series hatchback with a boot has been more glamorously badged the “2 Series Gran Coupe” since 2020.

Still following the sedan script with four doors, it’s BMW’s tilt at Mercedes’ booted A-Class hatch, the rakish CLA, unveiled early last decade as the Concept Style Coupe and now in its third series-production iteration – though since 2019 a more conservatively styled A-Class Sedan has also existed, that goes up against Audi’s A3 Sedan.

But we digress. Now there’s a “new” 2 Gran Coupe, coded F74, though it’s really a heavy facelift of the superseded F44. Oh, and the ‘i’ no longer exists in the badge, so (M-enhanced models aside) it’s just numbers from here on in. 218. 220. M235.

Regardless of names, does it live up to the BMW promise?

Mercedes-Benz has brought back the entry-grade GLC200 and it's now the most affordable way into the sleek, mid-size luxury SUV.

But ‘entry-level’ doesn’t always mean ‘everyday friendly,’ so we’ve been family-testing it to see if it delivers that signature Benz comfort, quality and class without the premium sting.

The question is, does it offer enough substance and style to take on its high-profile rivals, the Audi Q5 and BMW X3?