Mercedes-Benz GLC 2020 review: 300 Coupe

It's super sleek with no sharp angles and a bubble shape at the back that makes it look more like a sedan/coupe than an SUV (and will surely encroach on boot space, but more on that in "How Spacious is it?").

With everything so smooth and rounded it's a sophisticated and original shape that makes it stand out in a crowded market. And my test car had the Night Package ($700) which adds black exterior highlights.

Inside is designed well with the usual high quality finishes you'd expect from Mercedes, and its curvaceousness extends to the interiors, with a rounded cover over the cupholders, a rounded dash in front of the steering wheel and three large circular air vents taking centre stage. Brushed metal trims all through the interior give the whole car a premium feel. There's also ambient lighting that you can see at night which really gives the interior a spaceship-type feeling that my children thought was very special.

Interestingly, there is a vegan leather option for this model of the GLC - though my test vehicle had real leather (a $2900 option), and all GLCs get a leather-lined steering wheel.

Brushed metal trims all through the interior give the whole car a premium feel. (image: Dean McCartney)

The front seats are spacious enough to relax into and have a good amount of leg and head space even for the taller members of my family. It's nice and wide and doesn't feel cramped.

My two children aged six and eight were easily able to climb into the back seats, and were happily ensconced on our drives this week. I could also fit back there at 161cm, and there is enough room between my knees and the seat in front that taller adults and teenagers should have enough leg space.

Taller people may find the head space is compromised in the back seats because of that fabulous looking sloping roofline, so if you have lanky teenagers you might want to opt for the SUV version of the GLC rather than the Coupe.

The boot, too, is tighter in the Coupe than in the SUV, but at 500 litres (VDA) it's on par with lots of other mid-size SUVs. This week I had to load up on boxes and the boot fit surprisingly more than I expected, even with the sloping bootline which cuts a fair amount of space from the cargo zone, and it easily fit the Cars Guide pram.

Taller people may find the head space is compromised in the back seats because of that fabulous looking sloping roofline. (image: Dean McCartney)

One of my favourite things about Mercedes is the way you adjust the front seats. With a cool looking brushed metal miniature version of the seat that is placed high on each front door, it's a great aesthetic feature as well as being easy to use.

There are two cupholders in the front, a spot for keys and a phone and a large centre storage bin plus bottle holders in each door.

It has a rounded dash in front of the steering wheel and three large circular air vents taking centre stage. (image: Dean McCartney)

It has keyless entry, push button start and a power tailgate, plus you never have to turn the park brake on or off. It does both automatically.

There's dual-zone climate control and rear passengers get their own air vents plus two cupholders in the centre armrest.

There are bottle holders in each door. (image: Dean McCartney)

The GLC has nine airbags which I'm always thankful for rather than the usual six or seven (the extras are side airbags for the back row, in addition to dual front, front side, driver's knee and full-length curtain airbags).

For advanced safety, there's adaptive cruise control, auto emergency braking (AEB), blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert. The GLC 300 also comes with the 'Driver Assistance Package' which adds active steering, front and rear cross traffic auto braking function, active blind spot and lane keeping assistance and lane changing assistant.

There are two ISOFIX points and three top tether points for kids car seats. The GLC scored the maximum five stars when it was ANCAP tested in 2015.

The Mercedes GLC 300 Coupe is a great family car that covers all bases. (image: Dean McCartney)

The Mercedes GLC 300 Coupe starts at $89,900 before on-road costs and optional extras. The as-tested price for this particular GLC 300 Coupe was $101,000 before on-roads.

Fuel consumption is a claimed 8.1L/100km and it takes 98RON fuel, though there is a much more efficient plug-in hybrid version, the GLC 300e, which starts at $80,400 and uses a claimed 2.4L/100km. But doesn't come in Coupe form.

There are eight models in the GLC range including speedy AMG versions. (image: Dean McCartney)

The GLC is covered by Mercedes' newly introduced five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which places it equal among luxury car companies such as Hyundai's premium offshoot, Genesis.

Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 25,000km, whichever comes first. Owners are able to prepay for the servicing which amounts to $2150 for three years or $2700 if you pay as you go.

It has keyless entry, push button start and a power tailgate. (image: Dean McCartney)