Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class VS Bentley Bentayga
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
Likes
- More power and torque
- More fuel efficient
- Stylish cabin
Dislikes
- Misses V8 soundtrack
- Big price rise over previous model
- Smaller boot, no spare tyre
Bentley Bentayga
Likes
- Practical and spacious
- Remarkable dynamics for its size and weight
- Twin-turbo V8 is no W12 but still awesome
Dislikes
- Not great value for money, but that's not the point
- Awkward looking to my eyes
- Interior could be more special
Summary
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
Let’s make one thing clear from the very beginning - this new Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S E Performance is technically superior to the model it replaces. Whether it’s actually better or not, is the real question at the heart of the matter.
Why? Because, like the C63 sedan stablemate, AMG has opted to replace the previous model’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. It was a move brought about in part because of increasingly stricter emissions standards in Europe, but also ties-in with the German firm’s success in modern Formula One racing.
While the new hybrid system offers more power, more torque and better fuel economy, as the lukewarm response to the C63 has demonstrated, the hard reality for AMG is that its buyers associate it with V8 and even V12 engines. That emotional pull is hard to replace with logic, even if the new model offers technical superiority.
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But how does the new powertrain suit the GLC63 - is it just technically better or is it holistically improved?
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Bentley Bentayga
Yes, you can drive your Bentley and keep your family. It's called compromise, or the Bentayga, Bentley's SUV.
The Bentayga my family has been living with is the Azure grade which promises to be even more comfortable and pleasant than the rest of the range.
Comfort is important and we'll cover the Bentayga's lavish details in time, but our mission first and foremost is to find out if the Bentayga makes a good family SUV.
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Verdict
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class7.7/10
Like I said right from the start, this new, hybrid version of the AMG GLC63 is technically superior to the model it replaces in every meaningful way. It is faster, more powerful and more fuel efficient and therefore a better performance SUV than the model it replaces.
Is it a better model than the one it replaces? Ultimately that will come down to how much stock you put into the soundtrack and your feelings on an AMG not powered by a V8 engine.
Because if you can see past that, then the AMG GLC63 is an absolutely fantastic performance SUV. Not only does the new powertrain make it faster in a straight line, but the chassis is very well-balanced, making for an engaging driving experience.
For those who can look past the smaller engine they will be rewarded with an incredibly fast and rewarding-to-drive member of the AMG family.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.
Bentley Bentayga7.9/10
The Bentley Bentayga Azure may look a bit awkward and it surely isn't great value for money, but it is a true Bentley and a very good family SUV that not only provides terrific practicality but superb performance and comfort.
Design
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
The GLC63 is unmistakably an AMG from the moment you first lay eyes on it. That’s thanks to the AMG-specific elements, starting with the grille with vertical strikes and the AMG crest on the bonnet; which is now a signature item for the performance sub-brand.
The GLC63 is also fitted with the Night Package II design kit; this adds a darkened grille and black chrome badging to further enhance its visual appeal.
The AMG-specific alloy wheels and more aggressive stance do mean the GLC63 stands out from the rest of the GLC range, helping it look fast even when it’s standing still.
Bentley Bentayga
You'd think of all automotive brands Bentley, with its beautiful swooping and powerful saloons, would be able to floor us with something just exquisite in SUV form. But right from the 2012 concept the Bentayga has struggled to stun the world with its design.
So, while there are Bentley family traits all over the Bentayga, from the intricate headlights and mesh grille, to the oval tail-lights and body which squats over the rear wheels, the overall design looks awkward to my eyes.
To me it appears the boxy design with the tall, flat roofline and elevated ride height favours practicality over the sleekness possessed by a lower, more coupe-like SUV.
I favour dark coloured clothes because it hides my shapes, creases and bulges, but these are the things you want to see in a car and our Bentley's 'Onyx Black' paint, despite being a beautiful colour with a blue hue added, make it a featureless blob in the sunlight.
A lighter shade or something outlandish like a turquoise or yellow would look amazing, and even better, upset your neighbours.
Let's look at the interior design which is lavish with all the quilted leather and Mulliner customisation, but lacks the modern look of many contemporary cabins with its smallish media screen and busy mosaic of buttons.
I like the little chrome plungers for the air vents, the winged styling to the dashboard and the stitched leather upholstery, but it's easy to spot parts that are shared by other members of the Volkswagen Group (which owns Bentley).
For example, there are the indicator and wiper stalks, as well as the steering wheel buttons, all from Audi. Surely Bentley should have its own crafted parts?
The interior colour scheme on our Bentayga is 'Beluga' (black) and 'Camel' (tan) and the Mulliner option split the colours with a cream tone.
From a family perspective the tan and black will hide dirt, although the cream will struggle. It's possibly the best leather on the planet, however, coming from cattle living high enough that their hides are unblemished by insect stings.
Practicality
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
Inside the GLC63 is clearly a derivative of the rest of the range, with its C-Class-inspired design and layout, but there’s enough AMG-specific elements to ensure it looks and feels special. This starts with the AMG steering wheel, which comes not only with a thick rim wrapped in Alcantara, but also some AMG special dials to adjust the various performance settings for the powertrain, suspension and transmission.
Then there are the AMG-specific seats, which look good and offer good support for the driver and front seat passenger. The rear seats offer decent space for what is a mid-size SUV, with room enough for two adults or teenagers or three smaller kids.
Those in the back aren’t particularly well looked after though, with only rear air-con vents and small door pockets but no USB charging ports or other small item storage.
The boot is 590 litres, down from 620L in the rest of the range, thanks to the addition of the rear-mounted electric motor. There’s also no room for the temporary spare the rest of the GLC range gets and instead you have to make do with a puncture repair kit.
Bentley Bentayga
Being shaped like a bus does nothing for the Bentayga's beauty but makes it spacious for cargo and roomy for people.
With its large doors and elevated ride height (the car can be lowered for easier access) it's great for families.
Our Bentayga is a five-seater, which is fine for my little family of four, but there are four- and seven-seat configurations available, too.
Second row legroom is exceptional, even for me at 189cm tall, and sitting behind my own driving position there's still plenty of room.
Headroom is also outstanding throughout. We could be a family that loves top hats, on our way to the top hat championships, and not have to remove our top hats. That's how good headroom and hat room is.
Sun blinds in the second row are vital in Australia, and the electric ones in the Bentayga raise and lower quickly, not just offering protection but also more privacy.
Storage is good throughout with big door pockets and five cupholders.
It seems the cabin space eats into the cargo area because the boot isn't overly large at 484 litres with all seats in place.
Buttons in the cargo area allow the rear of the car to be raised and lowered to make it easier to hoist items in the boot.
For devices there's a wireless phone charger up front along with USB ports in both rows.
Price and features
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
The power and torque figures aren’t the only numbers that have risen sharply, with the GLC63 clearly impacted by a double whammy of inflation and the usual new-car price rise.
The GLC63 now starts at more than $191,814 for the SUV and $198,415 for the Coupe, which represents a nearly $30k increase over the old V8-powered model, which was priced at $164,600 just two years ago. Even for luxury car buyers that’s a big jump, especially when you’re trying to convince people of the merits of the four-cylinder powertrain.Â
That also means it's more expensive than all of its key competitors, including the BMW X3 M Competition, Maserati’s Grecale and the outgoing, petrol-powered Porsche Macan GTS.
To help explain some of this price increase Mercedes-Benz Australia has opted for a high level of standard specification for local cars. Standard equipment includes 21-inch alloys, AMG composite braking, a panoramic sliding sunroof, a unique AMG steering wheel, power-adjustable sports seats in Nappa leather, a head-up display, dual-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging and a Burmester 3D Sound system.
Also included is the AMG Track Pace suite, for those who want to unleash their GLC on the racetrack.
There’s also a limited run, AMG Edition 1 Package available too, for an additional $12,900. On the outside you get Manufaktur graphite grey magno paint, foiling with colour gradation and large AMG logo on the sides, an AMG Aerodynamics Package, unique alloy wheels with Edition 1 and AMG branding, yellow brake calipers and an AMG fuel filler cap in silver chrome with AMG lettering.Â
Inside there’s AMG Performance seats, AMG Nappa leather in black with yellow contrasting stitching, AMG illuminated door sills, carbon-fibre AMG trim highlights, yellow seat belts and a unique AMG Performance steering wheel wrapped in carbon-fibre and microfibre.
Bentley Bentayga
Reviewing every type of car on the market provides a pretty good perspective, but when it comes to Bentleys we enter a realm where value-for-money often isn't as crucial as it is for more mainstream options.
The same goes for the price. Bentleys are among the most expensive cars in the world. So if, like me, you flinch at the thought of paying more than half a million dollars for an SUV, it may not be the car for us right now.
With that I can tell you the Bentley Bentayga Azure's list price is $475,000 and our car with all of its options comes to $515,000.
That's more money than any SUV from Mercedes-Benz and BMW costs. Even Range Rover can't quite reach that mark.
Only the likes of Aston Martin's DBX 707 and Lamborghini's Urus can match the price.
There are always bigger fish, though, and Rolls Royce's Cullinan swims in at $700,000, making the Bentayga's price seem quite reasonable.
Let's look at the standard features.
Coming standard on the Bentayga Azure are the prettiest LED headlights in the world. There are LED tail-lights, too, as well as a proximity key, roof rails and a panoramic glass roof, plus a hands-free tailgate.
Inside there's the 10.9-inch media screen, sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto.
The diamond quilting to the door trims is also standard and so are the Bentley sports pedals.
Many of these features are standard on lower grades in the Bentayga range, but the point in choosing the Azure is that many of the optional bundles on offer are fitted as standard here.
So, while leather upholstery is of course standard the 'Colour Specification' package gives you a choice of all interior colour combinations and an extended choice of hide colours.
The 'City Specification' brings extra safety tech like rear cross-traffic alert and a top view camera.
The 'Front Seat Comfort' specification adds 20-way power front seats, ventilation and massage as well as comfort headrests.
The 'Touring Specification' brings adaptive cruise control, a head up display, lane keeping assistance and 'Night Vision'.
And then the 'Sunshine Package' adds electric sun blinds, which are great for kids in the back.
Despite the multitude of standard packages there's plenty left to option on the Azure.
Our car was fitted with about a dozen options including piano black veneer ($5884), 22-inch alloy wheels ($4733), rear privacy glass ($2617), LED welcome lights ($2238), self-levelling wheel centre caps ($1208), a heated acoustic windscreen ($1094), luggage management for the boot ($937) and a heated steering wheel ($543).
Then there's Mulliner, Bentley's in-house customisation division which will personalise your Bentley.
The Mulliner custom features on our Bentayga Azure include the addition of an extra colour in the leather upholstery ($13,492), 'Honeycomb' stitching on the steering wheel ($5391) and contrasting stitching on the quilted areas of leather trim ($2688).
Best family features would have to be the privacy glass, temperature control in the second row and the rear sun blinds.
The second row also comes with a removable tablet which can be used to adjust the climate control, sunroof and media settings among other functions.
In the hands of children this is every parent's nightmare and there's a 100 percent chance of the tablet being lost forever, possibly on the motorway between Sydney and Canberra.
Under the bonnet
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
This is what lies at the heart of the AMG GLC63’s success or failure. As I mentioned at the beginning, the previous generation’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 has been replaced by an F1-inspired plug-in hybrid powertrain.
But don’t think that means AMG is suddenly focused on efficiency over performance. When AMG says the powertrain is inspired by the brand’s success in Formula 1 racing, what it means is the battery and electric motor provides a significant performance boost to support the internal combustion engine, not just save fuel.
To that end the combination of the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and the rear-mounted electric motor produces an impressive 500kW and 1020Nm. That’s a massive jump over the 375kW/700Nm made by the outgoing V8.
Bentley Bentayga
When Bentley stopped putting its W12 into the Bentayga this year I was unsurprised yet sad. The world is moving toward tighter fuel emissions but the twin-turbo petrol V8 in this Azure is still a beast.
The 4.0-litre turbo-petrol V8 is from the Audi family and I love it as much for its plentiful torque and superb acceleration as the deep rumble of its exhaust.
Making 404kW and 770Nm the V8 can lift and throw the 2.5-tonne Bentayga to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.5 seconds and onto a top speed of 290km/h. I reckon you could get it to 300km/h with the wind behind you.
Drive goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed transmission and a Torsen-type centre differential.
Default drive balance is 40/60 front to rear, with up to 70 per cent of power able to be sent to the front wheels and up to 85 per cent to the rear axle.
I don't think you'll be astounded to hear this powertrain uses a lot of fuel? Let's go there...
Efficiency
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
Mercedes makes no secret that the battery is designed for performance, not saving fuel. It only has a 14km EV range but can recharge quickly on the move to provide a power boost when needed.
But despite all that, the GLC63 is actually significantly more fuel efficient than the old V8, using a claimed 7.3L/100km, which is a massive 4.9L/100km improvement over the old model. Although, on our day-long test drive we didn’t manage to come close to that claimed figure and instead saw returns around 11L/100km, albeit after a lot of spirited open-road driving.
Bentley Bentayga
Bentley says the Bentayga Azure with the V8 petrol engine will use an average of 11.4L/100km over a combination of open and urban roads.
But what happens if you live in the suburbs not far from the city and drive the Azure every day to do the school drop offs and trips to the shops and then take in some fun country roads? You use an average of 22.8L/100km according to the car's trip computer.
This is still not as high as I was expecting. I've driven V6-powered SUVs which use more than this under the same conditions.
That said, even when using as much fuel as Bentley says you should, an 85-litre fuel tank is only going to deliver an approximate 745km driving range.
Safety
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
The GLC63 comes standard with a comprehensive suite of safety features including 'Distronic' (Mercedes’ name for adaptive cruise control), 'Active Lane Keeping Assist', 'Blind Spot Assist', 'Traffic Light Assist' and 'Adaptive Highbeam Assist'. It also includes Mercedes’ 'Pre-Safe' accident anticipation system - which pre-tensions the seat belts and will even play a white noise to protect your ears if it senses a crash is imminent.
A parking system that includes a 360-degree camera and active parking assist is also included.
The GLC range was awarded a five-star ANCAP rating in 2022, which pre-dates the latest testing protocols, so doesn’t provide a like-to-like comparison for vehicles tested after that date.
Bentley Bentayga
The Bentley Bentayga doesn't have a safety rating as like many extremely high-end cars it hasn't been assessed by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
That said, the Azure grade comes standard with an armoury of safety tech including AEB (with turn assistance), lane keeping assistance, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, evasive steering assistance, and adaptive cruise control.
Front and rear parking sensors are standard (and the most relied-upon feature I use daily), while exit warning saved my child and myself more than a few times from leaping out into the traffic on the school run.
Ownership
Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class
The GLC63 is covered by Mercedes Australia’s usual five-year/unlimited kilometres warranty.
As for maintenance, Mercedes offers service plans, spanning three to five years. Three years will cost you $5025, $6455 for four years and five years is priced from $7180. Servicing intervals are 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first.
Bentley Bentayga
The Bentayga is covered by Bentley's three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended every 12 months or 16,000km.
The good news is all new Bentley's have five years regular servicing included in the cost of the vehicle.