Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe Review 2025

One of the chief reasons why SUVs became popular with families was their increased practicality — perceived or otherwise — over family hatchbacks and MPVs. Yet with SUV coupes much of that advantage disappears, so is there an appeal beyond slinkier aesthetics? Read our full Mercedes GLC Coupe review to find out.

Melting an SUV’s estate car-like roofline to become more coupe-esque has grown from niche to norm in recent years, meaning the Mercedes GLC Coupe faces stiff competition from the likes of the Audi Q5 Sportback and the BMW X4, in particular.

Others in this premium world abound, such as the combustion-engined original Porsche Macan and the Range Rover Velar, plus more affordable alternatives in the shape of the Renault Rafale. 

There’s little to differentiate the Coupe from the regular Mercedes GLC SUV up front but astern it’s distinguished by that sloping tailgate, more aggressive stance and a tail light treatment that more closely imitates the Wallace-being-unhappy-at-the-lack-of-Wensleydale front bumper styling. No amount of aerodynamic artifice at the rear can disguise that it looks heavy.

Once inside you’ll spot that GLC Coupe’s cabin is pretty much identical to that of its more practically shaped twin, with the same dashboard and trim finishes but significantly less headroom, especially for those sat in the back. Boot space is also reduced by its sportier silhouette and rearward visibility is dire without the standard-fit camera and parking sensors out back to assist.

There are seven trim levels to choose from within the Mercedes GLC Coupe range, although not all can be paired with each of the six engines on offer — that’s one fewer than with the GLC SUV as that’s the only bodystyle available with the diesel-fuelled plug-in hybrid GLC300de.

For the Coupe that leaves the mild hybrid-assisted GLC300 petrol plus GLC220d and GLC300d diesels, the petrol-powered GLC300e PHEV and two high-performance Mercedes-AMG versions — the mild hybrid GLC43 and the PHEV GLC63S E Performance. Despite the variety of numbers, all engines have 2.0-litre capacities, nine-speed automatic gearboxes and 4Matic all-wheel drive.

Also note that model-for-model most GLC Coupes are around £6000 more than their SUV-bodied siblings, although that difference drops closer to £2000 for the Mercedes-AMG versions. 

Marring the driving experience of all barring the GLC300e Coupe is the overly ride quality. Mild hybrid versions of the Mercedes GLC Coupe are fitted as standard with sports suspension and no matter which drive mode you select, it’s just too hard. Certainly, it’s admirable that a car this heavy should be able to cling on through corners with a certain tenacity but not when you’re sacrificing so much ride comfort just to crash through potholes in town and make the kids sick on sweeping A-roads.

Overall the Mercedes GLC Coupe proves to be a machine we want to like more than we actually do. With its electric-only driving range of up to 77 miles, the PHEV-equipped GLC300e Coupe makes a tempting company car choice as well as for private buyers who don’t frequently drive long distances. For most others buyers, the GLC220d Coupe is a sensible real-world choice if you can live with its firmer ride. 

As for those considering a Mercedes-AMG version, we’d urge careful consideration over what advantages you believe a GLC Coupe gives you over the equivalent Mercedes C-Class Saloon and Estate models.

Ride quality is the Mercedes GLC Coupe’s Achilles heel. It need not be — we understand that the four-link front and multi-link rear suspension with air suspension at the back works well, so we’d encourage Mercedes to look again at the springing choices for UK models and make its Refinement Package standard on non-PHEV versions rather than a £2495 option on mild hybrid AMG Line Premium and Premium Plus models.

As things stand, the Mercedes GLC Coupe never really settles into the imperious gait you’d expect from a big bruiser like this, even at motorway pace. It thumps and clumps over potholes and other more innocuous road surface disruptions, jostling its passengers on all but the smoothest byways. This is a huge shame because occasional smooth passages let you know just how stately a progress you’re missing out on.

The steering’s accurate and there’s plenty of grip through the bends, being sharp enough and nicely weighted. Being allied to 4Matic all-wheel drive allows for accurate, if unengaging, placement of the car through corners. This isn’t really a machine for chucking around and it doesn’t reward the driver when you give that a go. The brakes feel desperately woolly, with no initial bite at all, requiring considerable pedal travel before any actual slowing down begins.

When cruising the GLC Coupe displays a very strange propensity to either brake when you lift-off or allow you to coast in the normal manner — there seems no rhyme or reason for it choosing which to do. Sometimes a little green car symbol illuminates at the bottom of the driver’s screen suggesting something within the car’s radar-supported electronics has decided you’re getting too close to the car ahead and applies the brakes — you can feel the pedal moving away from your foot. 

This probably explains why Mercedes drivers on motorways seem incapable of driving at a constant speed in traffic without constantly applying the brakes — the car is doing it for them. At other times, when the road is absolutely clear ahead, the car will either coast or brake in an entirely random fashion. It’s odd and not in a good way.

Engine choice for the Mercedes GLC Coupe consists of six options, all with hybridisation, 4Matic all-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic transmission. 

Least powerful is the mild hybrid-assisted diesel GLC220d which produces 197PS and 440Nm of torque from its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. It’s the slowest in the range although hardly pedestrian in the grand scheme of things — 8.1 seconds are required for the 0-62mph sprint, running on to a top speed of 140mph.

Using the same fundamental mechanical arrangement with no increase in engine size or cylinder count is the GLC300d, uprated to 269PS and 550Nm of torque. Its top speed is electronically capped at 155mph but the unrestrained 0-62mph dash is shaved to 6.4 seconds.

Also a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged engine, albeit petrol-powered with a mild hybrid supplement, is the GLC300. It produced 258PS and 400Nm for a slightly quicker 6.3-second 0-62mph time and a 153mph top speed.

That same basic engine finds its way into the GLC300e but in detuned form, producing 204PS and 320Nm of torque. Plug-in hybrid tech means its electric motor shoulders more responsibility than with its siblings, it alone outputting 156PS and 440Nm of torque for overall combined outputs of 313PS and 550Nm. Just 6.7 seconds are required for the 0-62mph benchmark, with a top speed of 137mph in hybrid mode and 87mph using only electric power.

Life with the GLC300e PHEV is largely quiet, effortless and gently slushy. The gearbox isn’t the quickest at responding to demands for oomph but when you are finally awarded the go you asked for, the car hitches up its considerable petticoats and thumps off down the road with pleasing enthusiasm. 

For those seeking yet more performance then head the way of the Mercedes-AMG GLC Coupe models, both also featuring a turbocharged, 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine.

Mild hybrid-assistance gives a boost to the GLC43 which delivers 421PS and 500Nm of torque for a 4.5-second standstill-to-62mph time and on top an electronically limited 155mph top speed.

Also a PHEV but with a brief to elevate performance rather than deliver comically high fuel efficiency figures, the GLC63S E Performance’s electric motor serves-up 204PS and 320Nm, while its engine produces 476PS and 545Nm. As a combined system, those outputs are rated at 680PS and 1020Nm of torque, resulting in a top speed of 171mph and a 3.5-second 0-62mph time. Not shabby for a car weighing 2620kg.

Euro NCAP hasn’t specifically crash-tested the Mercedes GLC Coupe, instead it will share its conventionally SUV-shaped sibling’s five-star rating from when it was put through its paces in 2022. Because both cars are mechanically and technologically identical, the Coupe should perform as well in a crash.

Standard safety equipment includes active lane-keeping assist, autonomous emergency braking, a tyre pressure monitoring system, two Isofix points for the rear seats and an active bonnet that will pop up on its hinges in the event of an impact with a pedestrian. 

All versions of the Mercedes GLC Coupe have handsome braked towing capacities, although the maximums do vary with engine choice. 

Best of the range are the GLC220d and GLC300d diesels which are both rated at 2500kg, while the GLC300 petrol dips slightly to a 2400kg limit. Choose the GLC300e PHEV and the maximum you’ll be hauling is 2000kg, with the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 and GLC63S E Performance restricted further to 1800kg.

The Mercedes GLC Coupe is 4764mm long, 2075mm wide and 1605mm tall. It’s a large car with a long 2888mm wheelbase, yet a lack of both headroom and daylight makes the rear seat accommodation feel somewhat pokey. Compared with the Mercedes GLC SUV headroom in the back is reduced by 35mm, while those up front have to make do with 3mm less.

The front seats are particularly comfortable and the driving position fine, though lower than you might expect for an SUV of this heft. As a result, forward visibility isn’t great but — though largely intended for off-roading — the Transparent Bonnet feature on higher spec versions proved handy for parking. Rear visibility is dreadful courtesy of the shallow rear screen — thank Heaven for rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Rear seat accommodation is just about okay for two adults but the central perch requires a third occupant to straddle a significant transmission tunnel in the floor. Those over six feet tall may fear for their toupees.

Accessed via an electrically operated tailgate, standard across the model range, loadspace for most GLC Coupe variants is a generous 545 litres with the rear seats in position, and 1490 litres with them folded away. Those numbers represent reductions of 75 litres and 190 litres respectively from the GLC SUV.

There’s less space in the GLC300e and the Mercedes-AMG GLC63S E Performance PHEV versions due to the location of their high-voltage battery packs — down to 390 litres with the seats up and 1335 with them folded. 

The design of that sweeping centre console somewhat shackles storage options in the front of the cabin. There’s a box under the armrest at the rear and a lid cut into the swathe of curved plastic in front of that, accessing two cup-holders, plus a hard-to-reach wireless phone charging pad. At least the door cubbies each hold a large bottle of water. 

As long as you can live with unfortunately shaped dashboard air vents then perceived quality in the Mercedes GLC Coupe cabin is high. Its dashboard design is shared with the GLC SUV, both being near-facsimiles of that fitted to the Mercedes C-Class which in turn was heavily influenced by the Mercedes S-Class’s interior.

Unfortunately it turns out on closer inspection that material quality isn’t all it’s cracked-up to be. We get the perception that Mercedes may be cutting corners in interior fittings these days, because once you start opening cubbies and suchlike, creaky plastic and unpleasant finishes hold sway.

The flimsy lid cut into the curved centre console accesses a sharp-edged plastic aperture housing two clumsily designed cup-holders and an awkwardly positioned wireless phone charging pad, while the storage box under the padded armrest is also a symphony of unlined plastic.

Genuine hide only upholsters the seats in the sportier Mercedes-AMG models with all other GLC Coupes clad in the firm’s own Artico faux leather. It’s been a mainstay for years already, so shouldn’t crack or split like vinyl seats from the 1970s.

Infotainment access within the Mercedes GLC Coupe takes the form of a 12.3-inch driver’s instrument screen, an 11.9-inch portrait-oriented central multimedia touchscreen and — on more expensive versions — a head-up display.

The dashboard is dominated by that central infotainment touchscreen which flows smoothly out of the centre console. It’s the most recent version of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system and it looks great, with pin-sharp resolution, tidy graphics and a row of air-con control tabs permanently on display along the bottom. It also works very well, though its rather shallow angle on the dash allows enough reflective light onto the surface to highlight fingerprints in all their glory.

The driver’s 12.3-inch digital instrument display is fine but the touch sensitive switchgear pads occupying all four spokes of the steering wheel are a vague, fiddlesome nightmare, even trying to adjust or mute the radio volume is a nightmare of fumbling inconsistency — a giant stride in the wrong direction for a firm with an enviable automotive safety record. 

The head-up display also needs a mention for the fact that we got so fed up with trying to work out how to adjust it that we gave up and had to ask the Hey Mercedes voice assistant to shut it down. Switching it off also has the benefit of reducing the number of flashing speed limit warning lights in front of you to just one — you can turn off the audible warning, just not the visual reminder.

Only later did we discover that one of the tab buttons below the infotainment screen with a drawing of the front of a car on it accesses a menu which includes control of the HUD system. Better late than never.

That Hey Mercedes voice assistant works well but be warned, she warms to her task to the point that she’ll interrupt your conversation unprompted to ask if she can help, sometimes to an annoying degree.

You’ll need to spend some time poring over the Mercedes GLC line-up to determine which version is best for you courtesy of an array of seven levels of specification, not all of which are available with each engine.

Entry-point to the range from a cost perspective is the diesel Mercedes GLC220d 4Matic AMG Line Coupe at £60,175. AMG Line grade is also the cheapest way to get into a petrol GLC300 4Matic at £62,220.

For the lowest-priced PHEV you’ll need to go for the £65,970 Mercedes GLC300e 4Matic Urban Edition Coupe — that’s the only engine that trim level is available with in this car. If the punchiest diesel is more your thing, then £68,800 is required for the Mercedes GLC300d 4Matic AMG Line Premium Coupe.

Higher levels of performance never come cheap for cars wearing the three-pointed star logo and that theme continues here. To get behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 4Matic Premium you’re looking at £78,715.

Top-of-the-range from a performance perspective now features plug-in hybrid technology with a single model that’s lumbered with an unfeasibly long derivative name — take a deep breath before trying to say Mercedes-AMG GLC63S E Performance 4Matic+ AMG Night Edition Premium Plus. Once you’ve stopped gasping ensure you’re sat down before clocking its £127,185 asking price. 

Also be very conscious that model-for-model most GLC Coupes are around £6000 more expensive than their equivalent Mercedes GLC SUV versions, with the difference reducing to nearer £2000 for the fastest Mercedes-AMG variants.

By contrast, an Audi Q5 Sportback can be your for as little as £53,160 while the BMW X4 costs from £54,815. The combustion-engined Porsche Macan’s prices kick off at £56,000 and you can pick up a Range Rover Velar for £55,410. 

Down at the more budget-oriented end of the SUV coupe spectrum, the Renault Rafale starts at only £38,195 — even the most expensive 300PS version remains sub-£50,000.

Expensive to buy, certainly, but several aspects of the Mercedes GLC Coupe’s running costs can make it a more reasonable proposition on a day-to-day basis. All versions are north of the £40,000 minimum to attract the annual Expensive Car Supplement — also known as premium car tax — of £425 which is payable from the second through to the sixth anniversary of the car’s first registration.

Returning a WLTP Combined cycle average of 52.3-54.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 138-139g/km the GLC220d 4Matic Coupe has the lowest Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car driver taxation bracket of the non-PHEV models at 33%. 

Opting for the punchier GLC300d 4Matic Coupe and those numbers worsen to 48.7-49.6mpg and 149-150g/km of CO2 depending on trim, placing them in the 35-36% BiK bands. Go for the petrol GLC300 4Matic Coupe and you’re looking at 37.7-38.7mpg and 167-168g/km, elevating the BiK banding to 37%.

Also in the 37% BiK band are all of the Mercedes-AMG versions, despite the fastest being a PHEV. Fuel economy and emissions figures for the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 4Matic Coupe range from 27.4-27.7mpg and 231-232g/km of CO2 respectively. At the pinnacle of the range, the GLC63S E Performance 4Matic+ Coupe returns 29.1mpg and emits 221g/km CO2.

In contrast, official WLTP Combined cycle figures would have you believe that the Mercedes GLC300e 4Matic Coupe plug-in hybrid  is capable of returning 470.8mpg. Obviously, the more often you charge the battery the less often you’ll sip from the fuel tank but here in the real world something big and pink just flew past the window. For all trim levels its CO2 emissions are 13g/km placing each in the 6% BiK bracket.

The entry-level GLC220d 4Matic AMG Line Coupe should be the least-costly version to insure, sitting in group 41. At the other end of the scale, the Mercedes-AMG GLC63S E Performance 4Matic+ Coupe is in group 50.

The Mercedes UK network offers a comprehensive three-year/unlimited mileage warranty.

Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe plug-in hybrid: Range and charging

With its 25.3kWh battery pack the Mercedes GLC300e 4Matic Coupe has a WLTP Combined cycle electric driving range of 75-77 miles. Contrast that with the 4.8kWh version in the Mercedes-AMG GLC63S E Performance and you’ll spot why its EV range is quoted at just 9 miles.

Recharging the GLC63S E Performance’s battery from 25-80% capacity requires 3 hours 40 minutes using a domestic AC wallbox, although the maximum energy flow the car can manage is 3.7kW. 

Matters are far swifter with the GLC300e — its 11kW AC on-board charger allows an appropriately powerful domestic wallbox to increase the charge level from 10-100% in 2 hours 45 minutes, while an additional DC on-board charger enables faster top-ups using public facilities with a 10-80% increase in energy levels needing just 20 minutes.

There’s a bewildering array of seven trim levels on offer across the Mercedes GLC Coupe range although each is restricted in terms of engine choice as we’ve illustrated below. The overall choices are Urban Edition, AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus, Premium, Night Edition Premium Plus and Edition Midnight.

Standard equipment for the Mercedes GLC Urban Edition Coupe includes:
Available as GLC300e

• 20-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels painted black
• AMG Line exterior body styling
• Electrically operated tailgate
• LED headlights with automatic adaptive main beam
• Dark grey matte front grille with chrome inlays and black surround
• Two chrome-plated exhaust pipe trims
• Silver grey diamond pattern interior trims
• Artico faux leather and Microcut faux suede upholstery
• Ambient lighting
• AMG brushed stainless steel pedals with black rubber studs
• AMG Line interior theme
• Heated front sports seats with four-way lumbar adjustment
• Multifunction sports steering wheel in nappa leather with galvanized gearshift paddles
• Dual-zone climate control
• 11.9-inch multimedia display
• 12.3-inch configurable instrument display
• Active Lane Keeping Assist
• Blind Spot Assist
• DAB digital radio
• Fingerprint scanner
• MBUX Navigation Premium
• MBUX voice control
• Active Park Assist with reversing camera
• Smartphone integration
• Speedtronic cruise control
• Wireless smartphone charging

Additional and replacement standard equipment for the Mercedes GLC AMG Line Coupe includes:
Available as GLC220d, GLC 300 and GLC300e

• 19-inch AMG five-spoke alloy wheels painted black with high-sheen finish
• Aluminium-look running boards with rubber studs
• AMG diffuser-look rear apron with chrome insert
• Metal structure interior trims
• Artico faux leather upholstery
• Ambient lighting Premium
• Illuminated door sills with Mercedes-Benz lettering
• Memory package for electrically adjustable front seats and steering wheel
• Hard disc integrated navigation

Additional and replacement standard equipment for the Mercedes GLC AMG Line Premium Coupe includes:
Available as GLC220d, GLC300d, GLC 300 and GLC300e

• 20-inch AMG five-spoke alloy wheels painted black with high-sheen finish
• Digital Light with Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
• Heat- and noise-insulating acoustic glass
• Panoramic sliding sunroof
• Anthracite linestructure lime wood interior trims
• Heated steering wheel
• Keyless-Go entry and starting
• MBUX augmented reality for navigation
• Active Park Assist with Parktronic and 360-degree camera
• Transparent bonnet

Additional and replacement standard equipment for the Mercedes GLC AMG Line Premium Plus Coupe includes:
Available as GLC220d, GLC300d, GLC 300 and GLC300e

• 20-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels painted black with high-sheen finish
• Night package
• Black open-pore aluminium lines wood interior trims
• Climatised, comfort multi-contour front seats
• Burmester 3D surround sound system
• Head-up display

Additional and replacement standard equipment for the Mercedes-AMG GLC Premium Coupe (over the AMG Line Coupe) includes:
Available as AMG GLC43

• 20-inch AMG Y-spoke alloy wheels painted matte black with high-sheen finish
• AMG fuel cap
• AMG high-performance composite braking system with silver-painted callipers and AMG lettering
• AMG lip spoiler
• Digital Light with Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus
• Heat- and noise-insulating acoustic glass
• Mercedes-AMG 43-specific exterior body styling
• Panoramic sliding sunroof
• Dark-tinted privacy glass
• Rear wheel steering
• Anthracite linestructure lime wood interior trims
• AMG Leather upholstery
• AMG Real Performance Sound
• Illuminated door sills with AMG lettering
• Heated AMG Performance steering wheel in nappa leather with AMG-specific buttons
• Dashcam
• MBUX augmented reality for navigation
• Active Park Assist with Parktronic and 360-degree camera

Additional and replacement standard equipment for the Mercedes-AMG GLC Night Edition Premium Plus Coupe includes:
Available as AMG GLC43 and AMG GLC63S E Performance

• GLC43 only — 21-inch AMG Y-spoke alloy wheels painted matte black with high-sheen rim
• GLC63S E Performance only — 21-inch AMG cross-spoke forged alloy wheels painted matte black with high-sheen rim
• GLC63S E Performance only — Aluminium-look running boards with rubber studs
• GLC63S E Performance only — AMG Aerodynamics package
• GLC63S E Performance only — AMG high-performance composite brakes with red-painted callipers and AMG lettering
• AMG Night package
• GLC63S E Performance only — AMG lip spoiler in high-gloss black
• AMG carbon fibre interior trims
• GLC63S E Performance only — AMG nappa leather upholstery
• GLC63S E Performance only — Heated AMG Performance steering wheel in carbon fibre and Microcut faux suede with AMG-specific buttons
• GLC63S E Performance only — Mercedes-AMG 63-specific interior themes
• GLC63S E Performance only — AMG Performance Seat package High-End
• Climatised front seats
• GLC63S E Performance only — AMG Track Pace
• Burmester 3D surround sound system
• Head-up display

Additional and replacement standard equipment for the Mercedes-AMG GLC Edition Midnight Coupe includes:
Available as AMG GLC43

• AMG Exterior Carbon package I
• AMG high-performance composite brakes with red-painted callipers and AMG lettering
• AMG Night package II
• Three metallic and magno paint choices
• Digital Light with projection function
• AMG Performance Seat package High-End
• Heated AMG Performance steering wheel in carbon fibre and Microcut faux suede with AMG-specific buttons
• MBUX Interior Assist