2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC earns five-star safety rating

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC has been awarded a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

Applicable to the GLC300 – the only GLC grade currently sold for Australia – Mercedes-Benz’s mid-size SUV earned the second-highest rating for Adult Occupant Protection and the equal-best Child Occupant Protection in its class under 2020-2022 test protocols.

Although the score is being published in Australia in 2023, it was tested in Europe last year under ANCAP and sister organisation Euro NCAP's 2020-2022 test protocols – which were superseded by stricter standards this year.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC received scores of 92 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 92 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 74 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection (pedestrians and cyclists), and 84 per cent for Safety Assist technology.

The GLC’s Adult Occupant Protection rating is the second-highest of any mid-size SUV tested against ANCAP’s 2020-2022 testing protocols, behind only the Tesla Model Y electric car.

ANCAP’s technical report shows the Mercedes-Benz GLC achieved full marks in its side and far side impact, plus rescue and extraction tests – while all other criteria (except the frontal offset) scored within one point of a perfect score.

The GLC’s Child Occupant Protection rating is the equal-highest of any mid-size SUV on sale – tied with the Mitsubishi Outlander – but lower than utes and SUVs such as the Ford Everest/Ranger, Nissan Pathfinder/Qashqai and Volkswagen Amarok which were tested under the same standards.

Full points were awarded for its performance in the side crash test and safety restraint systems. Points were deducted in the frontal 'dynamic' crash test.

The Vulnerable Road User Protection category saw the Mercedes-Benz SUV take full marks for lower leg impacts and its forward autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system for pedestrians.

An 84 per cent result for the GLC’s Safety Assist technology was awarded after the Mercedes-Benz SUV lost one or less points for its seat belt reminders, speed assistance system, lane-keep assist function, and AEB car-to-car systems.

Full marks were earned for the driver attention monitoring system, and the AEB technology's ability to prevent collisions in intersections.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC is now on sale in Australia, priced from $104,900 plus on-road costs for the single GLC300 variant.