Mercedes tunes a classic to perfection – if your pockets are deep enough

It’s not hard to see why the GLC is the best selling vehicle in the whole Mercedes range – shifting 2.6 million units in the last six years.

It simply oozes style and sophistication with its rugged good looks, matched by its versatility and off-road capabilities.

Throw in a luxurious interior with wall-to-wall leather, state of the art technology, unprecedented comfort and it’s jackpot time.

The only problem here is for the designers of the second generation who, to be fair, opted to play safe.

Sticking with the ethos “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, the blink and you’ll miss them changes are hard to find.

Dyed in the wool fans will spot the tweaked front end with slimmer headlights that complement the new grille, which is heavily chromed-up to highlight the larger three-pointed star in the centre.

Bigger air intakes in the lower apron give it a more aggressive look, as do the flush 20 inch rims.

It’s a similar affair at the rear where sleeker light clusters bleed into the centre of the tailgate and the high gloss diffuser is home to twin chrome exhausts on either side.

Inside is where the real changes are evident with a redesigned, almost completely digital cockpit. The mid-sized crossover takes styling cues from the new C-Class with a twin screen set-up.

A 12.3 inch instrument cluster with interchangeable clocks (Sport with yellow trim is our favourite) sits in front of the chunky 3-spoke sports steering while an 11.9 inch i-Pad-like tablet takes pride of place in the centre console and is home to the infotainment system.

Thankfully there is a suite of quick keys below the screen should you need to activate the heating, music volume and home button.

This quick and responsive interface is also home to the latest MBUX software including voice control, which will alter the temperature or switch on an interior light with a command beginning with “Hey Mercedes”.

The ambient lighting – 64 colours – is worthy of mention especially the ones embedded in the turbine-style airvents which add an extra layer of luxuriousness.

Surprisingly the new model is longer (+60mm) with increased track widths and thanks to its larger rear overhang, boot capacity has increased significantly to 620 litres (+70 litres).

An electric tailgate, which is standard, makes awkward loads a tad easier to manage.

Irish customers can choose from petrol, diesel with mild hybrid technology or three plug-in hybrids with an electric driving range of up to 129km (WLTP).

Yes, you read correctly – 129kms on a single charge with the 300e 4MATIC.

That unrivalled EV range is possible thanks to a 31kWh battery unit that’s twinned with a 2.0 litre petrol engine and combined, generate a meaty 313bhp.

The all-wheel drive version we tested is also capable to towing in excess of 2.5 tonnes.

Fabulously comfy and quite refined, it cruised like an S-Class while returning A-Class economy.

The EV range blew me away and even after applying the golden rule (shave off 30pc in winter, 20pc in summer) the real tally was around 100km.

Even with motorway driving, with wipers, heating and headlights on we almost managed to complete Dublin to the border before the petrol engine kicked in. An added bonus is the fact that it takes just over two hours to charge from a home unit.

At last a PHEV that suits my needs. Only one problem – the price – the GLC 300e starts at €91,510.

Kia unveil new EV9 all-electric 7-seater

Kia has gone full futuristic with the new EV9 - its first seven-seat electric flagship SUV.

It will sit on the same E-GMP platform as the award-winning EV6 and boasts a range of over 541km. The choice of either 77 or 100kWh battery packs are also capable of ultra-fast 800-volt charging which will see it gain 239kms of range in just 15 minutes.

Designed almost exactly like the concept revealed in 2021, sharp angles denote the Tonka toy indestructible feel while the digital Tiger face gives it serious street cred.

Larger than the Sorento, the EV9 is a hulking machine sitting at 5,010mm long with a 3,100mm wheelbase, giving the option of six or seven seats. The gargantuan 20 or 21-inch rims add a dollop of sportiness while piano black cladding around the wheel-arches give it a touch of class.

It’s super high tech too, with new to Kia gizmos like Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) system, available in the GT-line, enabling Level 3 autonomous driving.

It also introduces the Kia Connect Store, which enables customers to purchase digital features and services on demand with Over the Air (OTA) updates at any time.

It promises to be supremely comfortable and offers for the first time in an EV, swivel-type seats in row two, so all rear seat passengers can face each other. The interior is similar to the new Sportage with a digital plank that’s home to two 12.3-inch screens and a host of apps.
Prices and specs will be announced closer to its launch in the autumn.

BMW winter testing new all-electric 5-series

BMW is putting its first-ever fully electric 5 Series through vigorous testing, including sub-zero endurance driving, before making its international debut later this year.

The programme of testing lasted about a year in all and allowed engineers to fine tune its innovative powertrain and chassis control systems to improve traction, dynamism and driving stability. Testing took place at BMW Group’s winter test centre at Arjeplog, northern Sweden, and involved a long-distance trek across solid blankets of snow, icy mountain roads and frozen lakes.

The journey of around 3,000km provided an early opportunity for the motors, power electronics, high-voltage battery and integrated heating and cooling system for the cabin and battery pack to demonstrate their advanced level of readiness on a long-distance journey.

No official figures yet, but a little bird tells us that i5 will have a range of up to 600km.