The Crank: Will ‘Benz GLC answer a question no one is asking?

By John LeBlanc At the same time U.S. Automobile magazine’s Jamie Kitman accurately points the finger at German automakers for the demise of the more enjoyable to drive and environmentally-friendly station wagon in North America, word out of Germany suggests Mercedes-Benz is copycatting BMW again in the never-ending game called Fill That SUV Niche! Not content with the midsize ML, fullsize GL, crossover (nee minivan) R, and militaristic Geländewagen, Mercedes is looking at yet another SUV, this time, similar in fashion to BMW’s odd-duck X6 Sports Activity Coupe, according to a German report. Dubbed the Geländecoupé—or GLC, as speculated above—the coupe-SUV is said to be smaller than the X6, more than likely based on the 'Benz C Class chassis and debuting in 2014. If you’re keeping score, you may remember ‘Benz already has the C-based GLK SUV. Of course, I don’t have to remind you that the German automaker stopped bringing the more rational C Class wagon to Canada, apparently to help insure GLK sales. And the GLC, if it goes ahead, will essentially be a “coupe” version of the GLK,  But apparently the brains in Stuttgart figure there’s a niche to be filled there, whether customers are asking for a vehicle like the GLC or not. Do new car buyers need an X6 rip-off? Is Mercedes heading in the right direction offering more SUVs and less wagons to Canadians? [Sources: Automobile, AutoZeitung]

Comments