December 28 news: Recently, the new Mercedes-Benz long wheelbase GLC SUV officially rolled off the assembly line at Beijing Benz . It is reported that is a new model specially developed for the Chinese market. It provides a 7-seater version for the first time and may be launched in the first quarter of 2023.
(Picture source: Beijing Benz WeChat public account)
With the new models of Mercedes-Benz GLC, BMW X3 series and other new cars being released one after another, a new round of luxury SUV competition among BBA has begun. According to Xiaolei’s understanding, the new GLC follows a similar appearance design to the C-Class, with the headlights adopting an “outer corner” design. In terms of appearance alone, the GLC is one of the better-looking among Mercedes-Benz ’s many models. It is worth noting that the mild hybrid version uses a vertical grille, while the plug-in hybrid version uses a star grille to distinguish different power versions.
(Picture source: Mercedes-Benz official)
In terms of power, taking the plug-in hybrid model as an example, the new car will be equipped with a motor with a maximum power of 100kW. The entire series is equipped with a 4MATIC four-wheel drive system as standard, and is also equipped with a 31.2kWh battery. Under WLTP conditions, the pure electric range of the new car is expected to exceed 120km. In addition, the new car also supports 60kW DC fast charging. If charging is convenient, you only need to use pure electric mode for commuting in the market, which can also save car owners a lot of gas money. For major BBA manufacturers, power is no longer a problem. After all, they have profound training skills in this area, and their control over power and chassis is still top-notch. This is worth learning from domestic manufacturers.
(Picture source: Mercedes-Benz official)
Generally speaking, the new Mercedes-Benz GLC is a mid-sized luxury SUV. In addition to slight upgrades in appearance, interior and core configurations, improvements in other aspects such as power are not obvious. Most of the facelifts are new technologies for high-end models. It is difficult to say that there are any big highlights. Of course, for consumers, what they choose when choosing BAA is the first-line luxury brand influence, product highlights and innovative technologies are secondary. If configuration is more important, consumers might as well choose domestically produced cars at the same price that are more comfortable and more intelligent.
(Picture source: Mercedes-Benz official)
I have to say that Since Mercedes-Benz transitioned to electrification, the response has not been good. The monthly sales volume of the EQ series is lower than other new car-making forces and not as good as expected. Looking at it this way, even with the aura of first-tier luxury brands, consumers don’t buy it. Xiaolei believes that although Mercedes-Benz is the overlord in the era of fuel vehicles, it cannot produce electric cars with strong product capabilities, and sales will still not be very high.
In the era of electrification, Mercedes-Benz still needs to put more effort into electric vehicles and try to develop electric vehicles based on pure electric platforms instead of simple " oil-to-electric " models. Only in this way will it be favored by consumers and welcomed by the market.
(Cover image source: Mercedes-Benz official)
