Basel, Switzerland –

What’s this GLC business then? Is it a coupe?
No, Mercedes wants you to forget its old naming scheme and run with this new, more logical one. For that reason, the ML has become the GLE, and the SLK will become the SLC. You can still have fun saying the names instead of acronym-ising them: “Hey Mom, you should buy a slick not a glee!” GLC, therefore, replaces GLK.

I lost you at ‘forget’…
Okay, if you’ve given up by now, this is the new GLC, the competitor to the BMW X3 that Mercedes never made in right hand drive, back when it was called the GLK. As the ‘C’ in the name suggests, this car’s based on the mightily impressive W205 C-Class, sharing Merc’s new ‘MRA’ rear-drive platform. 

It’s 120mm longer and 50mm wider than the GLK, while also being about 80kg lighter (depending on model) thanks to high-strength steel and aluminium content.

It doesn’t look that rugged though…
Because it isn’t supposed to. Feedback indicated the GLK’s ‘G-Wagen-Lite’ boxy looks (think boot-shaped) were too polarising, which is why the GLC plays it safe with the brand’s new design language all over its sheet-metal. Think a C-Class with mumps and stilts, or the deserves-to-do-better handsome GLA with a 15-percent stretch factor.

What about the drive?
The 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is common throughout the range – like in the C 250 – but it gets a supremely flattering dance partner in the form of Merc’s new nine-speed gearbox. Shifts are so fast and seamless as to be imperceptible. That, plus the generous torque and decent refinement (though there is still some A-pillar turbulence), means the GLC feels freakish in that it’s quick but feels paradoxically calm, almost slow.

Can she twist and shout too?
Our test car came with every option known to Mercedes, including a new adaptive air suspension system (optional), which goes some way to explaining the car’s imperious ride and refinement. At the further edges, the car still rolls noticeably even in the sportiest setting, which is not to say the GLC’s devoid of driving fun. It’s the classic Mercedes approach – keep regular models, well, regular, and leave mayhem to the dedicated lunatic fringers (see below).

How’s its interior life?
Interior space seems very good – it’ll swallow five plus luggage easily. The GLC has a longer wheelbase than the C-Class, and 63mm more than the X3, which goes some way to explaining this. The cabin’s an almost direct lift from the C-Class, in other words, a miniaturised version of the S-Class luxury limo, if you buy it with a Burmeister sound system and quilted Designo premium leather anyway.

Tasty options it sounds like…
As always, Mercedes offers you a number of different ways to spec the car and its appearance, but final choices for our market will only be known when the car’s here next year. One particularly interesting choice is the Off-Road pack, which gives the air suspension extra height and adds dedicated driving modes and hill descent.

So, who’re the types to buy one?
Honestly, folk who’ve been clamouring for a mid-sized luxury SUV with a three-pointed star on the front. Given Merc is still second place in sales and the sole German in the top five, we know there are plenty of them out there. For everyone else, if you need an SUV with distance-demolishing comfort and elevated refinement,  and don’t mind a little less dynamic involvement, the GLC is for you.
But we want more POWER!
Okay Lewis. A GLC 300 with 240bhp is in the works (it eyes the X3 xDrive28i) as well as a GLC 450 AMG Sport with the same 360bhp engine as the C-Class model of the same name. And given there’s no high-performance SUV in this category, a full-on AMG model is almost a certainty.

Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 4MATIC
Engine                                     1,998cc, 16V, inline 4, turbocharged
Power                                                211bhp at 000rpm
Torque                                    350Nm at 000rpm
Gearbox                                    9-speed automatic
Top Speed                                    222km/h
0-100kmh                                    7.3 seconds                        
Fuel efficiency                        6.8L/100km
CO2                                                157g/km
Price                                              &n
bsp; $TBA
Availability                                    2016

Also Consider: Audi Q5 2.0 T, BMW X3 xDrive20i, Lexus NX 200t

For more information flip to the CarBuyer Guide