Mercedes-Benz GLC 2020 review: 300e

The Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e wears an MSRP of $82,888. Without a doubt priced at the premium end of the spectrum, when you unpack all the specs and lay it out, this car is actually great value.

To understand why, you just need to take a look at the rest of the range.

The regular GLC 300, for example, comes in at $79,335. Already close on the numbers, the 300e makes the difference up easily by coming standard with the excellent 'Airbody Control Suspension' package which is otherwise a $3800 option.

It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and built-in navigation, ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice control. (image: Tom White)

So, if you were on the fence between plug-in and non-plug-in, it seems you may as well pick the 300e. Before you make the jump though, be sure to read the fuel consumption and driving parts of this review, because there is one significant caveat which could make or break your decision.

Back to pricing. The 300e's price is lower than its most direct rivals, the Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar plug-in hybrid ($98,990) and the Range Rover Sport Si4 PHEV SE ($133,677 – Land Rover does not offer the more size-appropriate Velar with a PHEV drivetrain). Neither Deutsche rival, BMW or Audi, offer a PHEV in this category in Australia, yet.

Already comparatively good value, the 300e packs standard equipment including 20-inch alloy wheels, digital dashboard and 10.25-inch multimedia display (as part of Merc's 'MBUX' software suite), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and built-in navigation, 'Hey Mercedes' voice control, wireless phone charging and USB-C ports, full 'Artico' faux leather interior trim with woodgrain finishes and RGB ambient interior lighting, keyless entry and push-start ignition, dual-zone climate control, and full LED front and rear light clusters.

The 300e packs standard equipment including 20-inch alloy wheels. (image: Tom White)

There is the notable inclusion of the already-mentioned air body suspension as standard, and the GLC 300e has pre-entry climate control via the 'Mercedes Me' app, with which you can also pre-set destinations in the navigation system which the car then uses to best optimize its electric drivetrain.

The GLC 300e comes with a charging cable to charge from a household outlet, but not a public charging cable (Type 2 to Type 2 - $565.16) or the wall box at-home charging unit ($1200 not including installation by JetCharge). You'll definitely want one or the other, possibly both to make the most out of this car, though.

The GLC is fairly practical for the segment, but we're entering an interesting era where incredibly packaged small SUVs like the Land Rover Discovery Sport, BMW X1, and, in Mercedes' case, the GLB are more practical than their larger siblings.

Perhaps aimed at someone looking for luxury over practicality then, the GLC 300e still does well in its category. The front seats offer plenty of room and comfort for occupants as already noted, but also benefit from large storage binnacles in each door, a set of variable cupholders and a wireless charging bay set in the dash, a decent glove box, and a large split-opening console box which also houses extra connectivity.

The back seat offers plenty of room, with ample airspace for my knees (I’m 182cm/6'0" tall). (image: Tom White)

The media system has a plethora of methods for interaction, from tactile buttons to touchpads mounted centrally and on the wheel. Some are easier to use than others (with the odd little touch elements on the wheel requiring precision to use) but at least you'll be able to choose to interact with it in a way which will suit you.

The back seat offers plenty of room, with ample airspace for my knees (I'm 182cm/6'0" tall), and the same lovely seat trim granted to front passengers. While some higher trims get a third air conditioning zone here, the 300e just has directional vents. Passengers back here will benefit from large bottle holders in the doors and a drop-down armrest and there are two USB ports within reach for device charging.

The boot is hampered by the presence of the lithium battery, and has dropped an alarming amount from 550 litres (VDA) in the standard GLC varaints to 425L. This sounds worse than it is, with much of the space being lost to under-floor storage. Take a look at the pictures to see for yourself. There are practical netted bins on each side, and some elastics for securing objects. The GLC has quick release switches for the rear seats, too.

On the topic of under-floor storage, the 300e misses out on a spare wheel. Benz tells us the car has either run-flat tyres or an inflator kit depending on the wheel and tyre combination chosen.

The GLC 300e is full of powertrain. Under the hood is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with impressive power outputs of 155kW/350Nm which drives all four wheels via a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission.

It also has a 90kW/440Nm electric motor which sources its power from a large 13.5kWh lithium ion battery pack.

Benz says these two combine for an overall output of 235kW/700Nm. Nothing to scoff at.

Under the hood is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with impressive power outputs of 155kW/350Nm. (image: Tom White)

Our figure is shockingly out of whack with the lab-generated one on the sticker. But there's a rather interesting and cautionary tale behind why this is.

The GLC 300e is said to consume just 2.6L/100km, but our test had it return a way-out-of-whack 10.2L/100km.

How can this be? Benz is relying on you taking full advantage of the electric motor on offer, but in my particular situation where I was unable to maintenance charge at all thanks to a lack of an outlet in my unit parking spot and no optional public charging cable in our test car, I was relying on the 2.0-litre engine for most of my drive week.

The GLC 300e is said to consume just 2.6L/100km, but our test had it return a way-out-of-whack 10.2L/100km. (image: Tom White)

Keep in mind, this engine had to pull a large (13.5kWh) lithium ion battery cell on top of the regular GLC's weight, and could barely make use of the electric motor to take the stress off the engine most of the time meaning a well and truly blown out fuel figure.

Put simply, you can't drive the GLC 300e like a Toyota Prius. It needs to be charged. In fact, if you charge it every day, there's enough electric range stowed away that you could reasonably expect to use no fuel in a week of commuting, provided the distance travelled to and from charging points is less than, say, 30km. The official electric-only range is 43km.

Indeed, Mercedes-Benz told me most customers who opt for the 300e will also be choosing a wallbox to go with it, which makes sense, but if you're like me and have nowhere for it to go, the public charging cable is a must-have accessory.

The GLC 300e requires top-shelf 98RON premium unleaded fuel and has a 50-litre fuel tank. Charging time is seven hours from a wall socket or two hours from a public outlet or wallbox. It accepts Type2 'Mennekes' European standard charging plugs and can only be charged from AC sources at a maximum of 7.4kW.

The GLC 300e comes with a charging cable to charge from a household outlet, but not a public charging cable. (image: Tom White)

Mercedes-Benz has jumped ahead of many premium rivals, now offering a very welcome industry-competitive five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty including roadside assist for the period.

Service intervals for all GLC variants is 12 months or 25,000km, whichever occurs first.

The latest updates to the GLC range have added the impressive screens, which run on slick and fast software. (image: Tom White)

There is capped price servicing which is cheapest when packaged into a service plan which can be bundled in on finance at the time of purchase. The standard plan is three years at a cost of $2150 (a $550 saving over normal service pricing).

The next two years can be optionally added. Four years of cover is $2950 while five years jumps to a slightly eye-watering $4650. This makes the cheapest way to genuine servicing a pricey $930 a year for the life of the warranty.