ATLANTA -- The redesigned and renamed GLC compact crossover will be Mercedes-Benz USA's most advertised vehicle in the first quarter of 2016. And the GLC eventually will become the brand's highest-volume crossover in the U.S., brand chief Steve Cannon says.
The first-quarter advertising offensive is part of a big marketing push and higher sales expectations for the GLC nameplate, which replaces the outgoing GLK.
"The volume will increase for this car, just body style to body style," said Cannon, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. "We've got a great price point that puts it smack in a great position relative to the competition [in what] is still one of the most significantly growing segments in the U.S. car buying population. We have high expectations for the GLC."
The 2016 GLC300 and GLC300 4MATIC go on sale at U.S. dealerships in December, a month later than had been expected. With Mercedes' year-end sales event slated for December, significant GLC advertising will wait until next year.
"We'll come out of the gate in the first quarter very strong, and the GLC will be the most advertised vehicle in our portfolio," Cannon said. "We're a month later than we would have liked in an ideal scenario."
Pricing begins at $39,875, including shipping. That is slightly higher than the GLK's base price. Cannon said the base GLC has additional equipment that makes it a 4 percent improvement in value for the consumer when compared with the predecessor model.
Mercedes also is introducing a new coupe variant, which will go on sale in the U.S. late next year. That isn't part of the projected volume increase. Cannon expects significantly higher volume right away, in 2016. The U.S. will be the company's biggest GLC market, he said.
He didn't project first-year volume. Mercedes-Benz sold 35,000 GLKs in 2014. The brand's best-selling crossover is the GLE, which was freshened and renamed this year. It previously was called the M class. Last year, Mercedes sold 46,726 M-class midsize crossovers.
The GLC won't surpass the GLE in 2016, Cannon said.
"But we're going to ramp the volume over the life cycle," said Cannon, calling the GLC's segment the "absolute sweet spot" of the crossover market. "I expect it to be our highest-volume sport-utility in time."
The GLC is longer and wider than its predecessor, with more rear seating room and storage capacity. Stereo speakers were moved out of the doors to make space for oversize storage pockets. The GLK had been smaller than key competitors such as the BMW X3 and Audi Q5, Cannon said, but the GLC is now "toe-to-toe" with rivals in terms of size.
The launch models are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 241 hp and 273 pounds-feet of torque. That's slightly less horsepower than the six-cylinder GLK being replaced but the same amount of torque. It has a nine-speed automatic transmission. It's lighter, and fuel economy is 20 percent better than the GLK, said Bart Herring, general manager of product management for Mercedes-Benz USA.
That bigger size and the improvement in materials are key to beating competitors such as the Q5 and X3 on volume, Herring said.
"We know the segment is competitive," he said. "The goal for this car is, clearly we think we can take this to a No. 1 position. We have the product, we have the dealer network and we have the marketing and PR machine behind it."
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