2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Coupe First Drive: Mysteries in Need of Answers

Like the standard GLC SUV it's based upon, the all-new GLC Coupe is a bit larger than the one it replaces. That's generally a good thing, as that way you can recover a bit of the luggage space you gave up by buying the coupe variant in the first place. Most of the growth is in the length, where the GLC Coupe is now 1.2 inches longer than the first-generation vehicles. Height increased by half an inch, yet width remains the same. It's worth noting the front and rear tracks have swelled by 0.2 and 0.9 inch, respectively, and the latter growth should help with handling. According to Mercedes, the drag coefficient improved from 0.30 to 0.27 cd, which is hard to believe as that's literally the same as the new Toyota Prius. Sadly, without our own wind tunnel or supercomputer-toting on-staff computational fluid dynamicist, we'll just cock an eyebrow. That said, the coupe silhouette looks more aerodynamic than that of the normal GLC.

The biggest visual difference between old and new is seen up front; the revised face is best described as cleaned up. It still looks like a GLC family member, but the Botox has worked wonders. Gone is the thick, regular Mercedes grille in favor of a version of the now-familiar AMG grille, the one with a stylized propeller growing out of either side of the still massive Mercedes emblem. This new grille gives the GLC Coupe a more continental, mustachioed appearance. Every bit of the fascia is cleaned up, and the changes constitute a pretty big improvement when glancing back at photos of the old one. All the shapes are better, and while the amount of plastic might very well be the same, the face now looks like it's hewn from higher-end materials.

I stare at cars for a living, and from the side, it's difficult at first glance to tell the old Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe from the new. The 2024 model gets a makeover using Mercedes design boss Gorden Wagener's latest twist on his "Sensual Purity" design language, which in this case means the hard character line (or A line) no longer runs across both doors but is instead split in two. The line is now found over each wheel where it's used (quite effectively) to break up the visual mass inherent to those body sections. But you need to be a real design nerd to pick it out. The casual observer, if they even notice, will just think the new one looks a bit less bulky. (You will soon see this new divided character line looking its best on the upcoming CLE Coupe.) The GLC Coupe's raison d'etre, its sloping roofline, is the design highlight and looks great. Out back, the taillights are new, visually connected to each other while somewhat mimicking Mercedes' EQ products.

Inside, you're treated to the (for now) most recent version of Mercedes' powerful yet frustrating MBUX infotainment system. I say "for now" because I sat inside some upcoming models (E-Class wagon, that CLE Coupe) featuring the newer, now-with-TikTok version. Why is it frustrating? Take MBUX's navigation map, which is on permanent display thanks to the system's "Zero Layer" design. Think of the map as your computer's background and all other functions are like apps on your desktop. I've used this in vehicles like the Mercedes-EQ EQS that has a massive 17.7-inch screen. But here in the GLC Coupe with its smaller 11.9-inch center display, the apps that are atop the Zero Layer eat up too much of the map's real estate, rendering it less useful. You can swipe away the bottom apps (though not the ones up top) to enlarge the map, though this seems to freeze it in place. Would Apple CarPlay solve this? Sure, but then you'd lose the turn-by-turn instructions in the head-up display. That's just one example of many MBUX quirks.

As far as the cabin's quality goes, it's on par with modern Mercedes interiors, and it features a solid mix of leather, high-quality plastics, and optional wood veneers. We sampled a couple of different GLC Coupes, one of which had a carbon-fiber finish on the dash. Go ahead and pass on that. The squished-circle air vents were flattened to increase outward visibility (that's commendable), but I have a feeling they will date the interior thanks to the late-'70s vibe I got from them. Plus, they're simply not as elegant as the former generation's round vents. Because of the new GLC Coupe's larger size, both rear-seat room and cargo space are improved, the latter by 1.6 cubic feet for a total of 19.2 cubic feet with the rear seats up, or 52.6 cubic feet when folded flat.

The 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Coupe gets the same engine as the new GLC. It's a 2.0-liter, turbocharged, 48-volt, accessory-free mild hybrid that's good for 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. That's not a wild amount of power in 2023 (up 22 lb-ft of torque over the last-gen GLC Coupe), but the standard 4Matic AWD system makes the most of it. The engine's grunt is definitely adequate, though by no means sporting. We've tested the 2024 Mercedes GLC and recorded a 5.6-second sprint to 60 mph, which was 0.2 second slower than the previous, less powerful GLC. We chalked that up to a 479-pound weight increase. You can expect similar results with the Coupe, though I should mention that the only GLC300 Coupe we ever tested took 6.7 seconds to reach 60 mph back in 2018. We were able to sample a more powerful hybrid variant called the GLC300e Coupe, but it's not coming to the U.S. for a year or two.

Now comes the bad part for us Americans. The GLC Coupe's best parts are its terrific ride quality and its nimbleness. The former because of the optional air suspension, and the latter because of Mercedes' it-just-keeps-getting-better four-wheel steering. Guess what? The two come as a package and are not an option on American market GLC Coupes! Why not? Well, we repeatedly, breathlessly asked various Mercedes employees on our Austrian drive program, and we were told repeatedly the previous GLC Coupe had air suspension as an option, but it had such a low take rate that Mercedes decided American customers don't want it. I incredulously pointed out that U.S. dealers order the cars (customers just show up, point, and say, "Gimme"), and therefore it was the dealers who weren't ordering the air suspension—do not blame your customers. How do you say deaf ears in German? I also (probably unnecessarily) added, "So much for 'the best or nothing!'" But I stand by the sentiment.

Since the only GLC Coupes available to sample during the launch event were outfitted with air suspension and four-wheel steering, I cannot tell you how the U.S.-spec version drives. How about them apples? Can we assume it'll ride pretty much OK on regular steel springs? Maybe! I can confidently say four-wheel-steering technology has evolved to the point where it's essentially a must-have. Who doesn't want the ability to flip a U-turn within a lane and a half, or make parking in a tight garage a snap? American Mercedes-Benz dealers, it seems. Plus, it improves high-speed stability and low-speed sportiness. So yes, I'm a bit disappointed by this particular product-planning decision, and sadly, you'll have to wait until we get our paws on an American-market GLC Coupe to find out how the thing actually drives. In Europe, they've got it good.

Not enough. Last year, company boss Ola Källenius made headlines when he said Mercedes-Benz will refocus on higher-end models. "At the heart of that is our goal to build the world's most desirable cars," he said. Turns out that while Mercedes sold 10 percent fewer cars during one stretch of the pandemic, its profits surged by 20 percent because consumers couldn't get enough of the high-end stuff. The decision to effectively decontent a brand-new product in a big, wealthy, mature market like the U.S. comes across as counter to the brand's larger plans. This is not unique to the GLC Coupe; as you may well remember, Mercedes removed the optional bouncing (i.e., hydraulic), $9,000 suspension from the GLE model range after slow take rates. Though again, what that means is that dealers weren't ordering cars so equipped.

So we're going to have to wait until we get into the American versions before we can say anything concrete about handling and performance, but if the new GLC is any guide, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Coupe will be a great medium-small sporty luxury SUV. Improved rear-seat room and added luggage capacity is always welcome, and the revised design looks much better overall. The GLC Coupe is quiet, luxurious enough for the segment it competes in, comes loaded with tech, and even has an off-road mode. As to the initial dilemma—what on earth is the point of an SUV in coupe form?—we still don't have a good answer. Should you choose to purchase the new Mercedes GLC300 Coupe, you might well be on your way to figuring it out.