It’s a second generation bringing a second helping of a single dish.

WORD of advice for those buying into the new Mercedes GLC - expect some to question your contention of it being absolutely, utterly new.

In its previous, original format the C-Class of sports utilities delivered a certain shape, a certain size and, very much, a certain look. 

All of which have transferred to what’s hitting the market just now. Not a facelift. Not an update. A brand-new car … that seems, at kerbside at least, highly familiar.

Any illusion only lasts until the cabin and the badge are cross-checked. 

Inside, the car comes up to speed in being the latest popular model to get Merc’s latest MBUX infotainment system,  which with an 11.9-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen display and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is far more modern in look and more intuitive in operability than the previous kind. As much as it is all new, it might straight away seem familiar because … well, it is. The dashboard is lifted straight out of the C-Class.

Under the bonnet? That’s where it gets simple. AMG GLC 43 and GLC 63 editions to replace the current types are under development are promised for 2024. For now, and with the usual Coupe here before year-end, engine-wise it’s a one horse show.

While Mercedes has a big family of power plants in production, in diesel and petrol, in mild and plug-in hybrid, only one engine comes to us, in one model type. Replacing four mainstream models, previously.

The GLC 300 has a 2.0-litre petrol making 190kW and 400Nm with 48 volt assist. It’s married to a nine-speed automatic apportioning to all four wheels, for $113,900. 

Options-wise, it restricts to a $6900 ‘Plus’ package (adding Burmester audio, augmented reality satnav, acoustic insulated glass, and more), two $1500 paint finishes (one in white) and $1000 for the standard 20-inch wheel in black.

Important rivals, starting with the two other big names out of Germany, deliver with mains-fed electric assist and Benz could have conceivably matched them with three variants, one tied to this engine, all with a claimed pure electric driving range of 100km.

It hasn’t because it sees better value in enhancing its fully electric ‘EQ’ fleet. It’ll have eight fill electrics in circulation by year-end, not including the original ‘EQ’, the EQC, as it’s being bumped out to make room for an EQE SUV. All these are set to be promoted as the new focus for battery-interested customers.

First look and feel for the car came from a day out, around the Auckland region, keeping clear of the city. This happened nine days ago but has had to stay under wraps, due to a brand-imposed embargo - a questionable requirement, given the car became publicly available on the day we drove it, and of course has been in circulation internationally for yonks. But there you go.

If there was some special X ingredient that demanded the interim silence, I didn’t find it. If you’re familiar with this product in its past form, then there’s nothing that jumps out as a surprise change.

Impressive refinement is the car’s X factor; performance is solid enough and dynamics - and the nine-speed automatic transmission - are sharp enough to invite fun driving. 

You can use the manual paddles behind the steering wheel for additional involvement, though they don’t make the change actions any quicker. Switching to Sport to adjust the engine response and suspension stiffness does enliven things, but only slightly. 

That it feels brisk but not astonishingly so is no more a disappointment than the 0-100kmh time being exactly the same as the old car’s. Making light of speed limits is not its remit; this car is all about being a quiet, competent cruiser. It seems to fit that bill. If ballsy pace and racing car-like reactions are expected, then AMG will happily oblige.

The walk-around cements thought that that exterior styling is so evolutionary maybe the casual observer is likely to only spot the differences between this model and the outgoing one if they are parked side by side. 

It adopts a slightly cleaner front end, with a smoother grille and slimmer LED lights, and a rear more in-keeping with the larger GLE, but it’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it type stuff.

This isn’t stylists being lazy or lacking fresh ideas. More a case of adherence to orders from above; likely as not from those who watch the revenue stream. 

GLC has been quite the breadwinner. The first generation this car supplants achieved more than 2.6 million global sales; its GLK predecessor - a GLC in all but name, but not seen here, as it was left-hook only - also nailed a load of support. Anyway, it’s the brand’s number-one-selling vehicle, supplanting the evergreen C-Class sedan. So you know how it goes; why mess with a winning recipe?

As much as the shape is highly ‘samey’, it’s still more efficient, with the drag co-efficient falling from 0.31 Cd to 0.29 Cd, a 6.5 percent improvement.

This, in turn, effects economy. This GLC 300 is larger and 69kg heavier than the last, but the slippery shape and mild-hybrid tech assist in making it 0.5l/100km more thrifty than before, with a combined figure of 7.7l/100km.

As before, the five-door, five-seat SUV offers more interior space coupe. Sense this one feels roomier than the last is no trick. This generation is bigger by almost every measure – 60mm longer overall with a wheelbase extended by 15mm. Overall width remains the same at 1890mm, but it’s 4mm lower from top to bottom.

There’s high likelihood practicality is going to be a priority and it does okay on that side, with a decent amount of space for four passengers, five at a push, while a standard powered tailgate opens to generous boot space, 600 litres’ capacity, running up to 1640 litres with the back seats folded.

It’s an expensively engineered car; you don’t get this level of refinement from scrimping. Accordingly, temptation to load it up - or even allow messy occupants to do their worst - might well be tempered by this being a premium product. The cabin upgrade delivers a swathe of S-Class-inspired plush materials so is properly posh. 

The cabin is beautifully built and utterly modern. There's a 12.3-inch screen ahead of the driver for the instruments, while the central touchscreen measures 11.9 inches and comes with the latest MBUX multimedia system. This has the usual smartphone connectivity, navigation, radio and voice control.

Although it’s not by any means an off-road car, it does have a feature you do find on some expensive high-tech all-terrain sports utility wagons and utes. That’s a 360-degree camera system that includes a Transparent Bonnet system that allows you to scan for objects that would normally be out of sight in front of the car. 

More smarts to show off? There are also 3D augmented reality directions, which use the front-facing camera to project navigation directions on the screen. And the Plus pack also delivers advanced headlights that can illuminate pedestrians or display warnings about lane widths or driving the wrong way on roads. 

As well as some fantastic tech, the cabin offers lots of comfort. The front seats have a wide range of adjustment, and the electrically adjustable steering wheel is a nice to have. Four-zone climate control and a panoramic sunroof feature, too.

As much as it is a clearly expensive choice, this car nonetheless sits in a well-subscribed sector, featuring talented rivals. The BMW X3 (and coupe-styled X4), the Audi Q5 SUV and Sportback, the Lexus  NX, the Volvo XC60, Jaguar F-Pace and Range Rover Velar all still fuel at the pump.

If the SUV look isn’t quite enough, the Coupe sounds more extrovert in look. It’s 47mm longer and gets a more aggressive stance thanks to a staggered wheel set up with wider rear tyres - unlike the square arrangement of the SUV. 

The writer attended this event as a guest of the distributor, with travel, accommodation, meals and a gift provided.