Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Konkan coast, mileage boast
The Mercedes GLC 220d delivers on functionality and smooth steering, but its touch-sensitive switchgear needs work
Mumbai-Dapoli-Mahabaleshwar-Mumbai with just one tankful of diesel and with a quarter tank to spare. There was no range anxiety on this 550 km drive in the Mercedes GLC 220d. If anything, this weekend was an education in a lot of things. First, that there are lots of hidden gems within a weekend’s reach from Mumbai, and Dapoli is one of them. The Fern Samali hotel is the best place in town, and they arrange a tour of their in-house mango orchard, where you can pluck and savour the juiciest Alphonsos. For mango lovers like me, this place is paradise.
But there are other reasons to visit Dapoli, and that brings me to the second thing I learnt. The roads leading to this weekend getaway along the Konkan coast, after you turn off the stressful (and still incomplete) old Goa highway, are a driver’s delight. Freshly paved and fabulously smooth, with lots of twists, turns and undulations, it cuts through the hills and is a great test for any car’s talents.
I had a blast in the GLC, possibly the sportiest mainstream Mercedes SUV. It has very little body roll and turns into corners with the reassurance of a sedan. The steering too is superbly direct, with lots of feel so you can hustle it through corners with a fair degree of accuracy. What gives you the confidence to drive at a good clip is the GLC’s rock like stability. It stoically rides over crests and dips, the well-tuned suspension delivers a flat, controlled ride.
{{/usCountry}}I had a blast in the GLC, possibly the sportiest mainstream Mercedes SUV. It has very little body roll and turns into corners with the reassurance of a sedan. The steering too is superbly direct, with lots of feel so you can hustle it through corners with a fair degree of accuracy. What gives you the confidence to drive at a good clip is the GLC’s rock like stability. It stoically rides over crests and dips, the well-tuned suspension delivers a flat, controlled ride.
{{/usCountry}}The charge up from Poladpur to Mahabaleshwar made full use of the 2.0-litre turbo-diesels and 440 Nm of torque, but like all diesels, after the shift to BS6, the mid-range punch (the sudden surge of power that characterises a diesel engine) is missing. That’s not to say that the GLC 220d isn’t quick – it can canter from 0-100 kph in a brisk 7.9 seconds. It’s just that the smooth flow of power masks the speed.
The GLC’s interiors are typically Merc: High quality, with an infotainment system that is possibly the best in the business. Rich colours, crisp graphics and fantastic functionality make Merc’s MBUX system the gold standard, though BMW has caught up with its latest models. The pinstripe wood finish on the dashboard isn’t to everyone’s taste and the touch-sensitive switchgear on the steering wheel is infuriatingly slow to respond; my pet peeve.
The third thing I learnt, or rather relearnt, on this drive, is the range a diesel can give. This, along with their fuel efficiency and cruising ability, makes them excel as long-distance cruisers. Each tankful gives around 800-900 km. Despite modern diesels being cleaner than ever, they continue to be seen as polluting. That’s a shame, really. As the GLC 220d has proved, nothing beats a diesel for a long road trip. I got an average of 12.8 kpl for the round trip. So, unlike an EV owner, you won’t spoil your weekend hunting for a plug to charge your car.
