The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC is gearing up for an imminent launch Car News

The new Mercedes-Benz GLC has ditched nearly all of its camouflage ahead of a reveal in the coming months, with new spy photos giving a good look at its final design.

The GLC, which will again seek to rival the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, will adopt the same fundamentals as its more than seven-year-old predecessor, which established itself as the brand’s best-selling car worldwide with more than 270,000 sales. just in 2021.

But subtle improvements and adjustments across the board have been made to maintain this momentum. It will be 60mm longer at 4718mm, for example, and adopts a 15mm longer wheelbase, offering more legroom for passengers and more boot space.

Pricing hasn’t been released yet, but it’s expected to be higher than the current GLC, which starts from £45,240 in standard trim and £49,465 in coupe form.

Upon release, it will be offered with a range of four-cylinder engines with mild hybrid properties. Included are the gasoline-powered GLC 200 and GLC 300 as well as the diesel-side GLC 220d and GLC 300d. Also planned is the GLC 400d, the only new GLC model to feature a six-cylinder engine.

Further details of the engines available in the UK have yet to be revealed, although Mercedes-Benz has announced there will be a combination of rear-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive GLC models. There will also be a trio of newly developed plug-in hybrid drivetrains in the petrol-electric GLC 300e and GLC 400e as well as the GLC 300de.

Autocar can confirm that successors to the GLC43 and GLC63 from Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance car division are set to launch in 2023, both featuring the same four-cylinder petrol engines as planned for the upcoming C43 and C63, with the most powerful make over 500 hp.

Underneath, the GLC will be closely related to the C-Class, as it is today, sharing the same MRA (Modular Rear Architecture) platform, meaning it should come standard with a double wishbone front suspension system and a multi-link rear suspension. Optional air suspension configuration.

And Mercedes aims to make the GLC the most advanced model in its class. It will help achieve that via a new Drive Pilot feature with Level 3 autonomous capability. It’s a similar system to the one that debuted on the latest S-Class.