Contemporary Luxury

THE BIGGEST LUXURY car portfolio just got bigger, as Mercedes-Benz India’s highly-awaited GLC hits the market and looks set to rule the roost.

- 

Gone are the days of yore when an SUV meant a bare-bones go- anywhere functional means of transport that ploughs its way through all kinds of terrain without breaking into a sweat! It’s now a luxury chariot, riding on a regular paved road like a dream and heading off-road whenever called upon, all the while keeping its occupants in supreme comfort and with an array of luxury and convenience features at their command. And there are people who want something with more road presence than a sedan or a hatchback, and a bold, classy, “in-your-face” SUV fits the bill. No one quite pulls this off like the engineers at Mercedes- Benz, who have produced some of the most impressive SUVs in the market. Into this illustrious fold marches their newest midsize luxury SUV – the GLC. Just cast a glance at the GLC – it conveys an impression of being effortlessly superior yet not pushy, a master of the art of fine luxury motoring. The upright, expressive front end has some attractive highlights – the 3D-grille in the centre, flanked by striking, high- performance LED headlamps. Mercedes- Benz calls its new design philosophy ‘sensual purity’, with precise sidelines and muscular surfaces. Top Gear magazine loves the rear styling, commenting that “it isn‘t a typical SUV rear-end” and has “a hint of a modern- day estate-like design.” And with a class-best coefficient of drag figure of just 0.31, it cuts through air like a hot knife through butter! As if that were not enough, the ‘Edition 1’ badging on the wings takes up the allure, the exclusivity by a notch or two. Step inside, and you are greeted by contrasting top stitching, high-gloss brown lime wood, large swathes of chrome, and an exclusive lighting package – it spells class! The colour scheme varies as per the exterior – for instance, the brown GLC has a dual-tone black- and-beige interior scheme, while the silver