2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC vs 2021 Volvo XC60

Though not a recent development, it was notable that Volvo, the Swedish car brand, hadn’t been purely Swedish for a long time. After 72 years of independence, the company was purchased by Ford in 1999 and remained under Ford's ownership until 2010. The company went through a transformative period during its Ford tenure, sharing platforms and engineering with Ford brands, leading to some peculiar product synergies. Post-2008 economic crisis, Ford had to offload several brands, including Volvo, which was acquired by China's Geely Holding Group. This transition marked a renaissance for Volvo, shedding its Ford-influenced designs and restrictions, allowing engineers to embrace a new, innovative approach. As a reborn entity with Geely's backing, Volvo emerged with a near-luxury lineup of cars and crossover SUVs, boasting top safety ratings and advanced features.

Situated between the compact XC40 and the larger XC90, the 2021 Volvo XC60 occupied a central position in Volvo’s crossover lineup. In its second generation and built on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) since 2018, the XC60 shared its platform with the other 60-series and 90-series vehicles.

Visually, Volvo’s crossovers maintained a sleek, elegant two-box design with short overhangs and athletic body sides. The crisp detailing accentuated the agile form of the XC60. The upright grille proudly displayed Volvo’s iron mark logo, and the front headlights featured an LED daytime running light shaped like Thor’s hammer, infusing a distinct Swedish character. Paint quality, chrome work, and trims were exquisite, and the alloy wheels, available up to 21 inches on higher trims, were striking.

Inside, the XC60 boasted an even more refined experience. The cabin was a paragon of "Scandinavian" design, characterized by clean lines, authentic materials, and a serene atmosphere. Volvo's early adoption of a large, portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen, a 9-inch display, became an iconic center stack feature, now more widely accepted. Key details, such as the elegantly designed HVAC vents with their simple yet sophisticated controls, elevated the interior to near-luxury status. The harmonious textures and colors made it a delightful environment.

Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, adhered to a more timeless aesthetic across its lineup. The GLC-Class exhibited soft curves and rounded edges, embodying a modern yet ageless style. Its menacing LED headlights gave it a contemporary edge without the aggressive persona seen in many rivals. The long hood and wide grille imparted a dramatic stance, akin to a raised C-Class or E-Class sedan, underpinning its car-like characteristics.

The GLC’s cabin was an automotive masterpiece, with flowing curves and soft lines extending into the dashboard. The floating touchscreen displayed rounded edges, aligning with Mercedes' minimalist yet elegant design ethos. The interior packaging reached artistic levels, setting a benchmark for compact luxury SUV cabins.

Offered in both a conventional SUV format and a crossover “coupe” body style, the GLC catered to diverse stylistic preferences. Despite the coupe's reduced cargo space, it maintained a sharp aesthetic appeal. Standard equipment included 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and a power liftgate. Inside, it featured synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, dual USB ports, and a 10.2-inch touchscreen with the MBUX infotainment system, housing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2021 Volvo XC60 came equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine across three powertrains. The T5 models, offering both FWD and AWD, utilized direct gasoline injection and a turbocharger, generating 250 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The T6 models, exclusively AWD, combined a turbocharger and supercharger to produce 316 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. The T8 models, plug-in hybrids with an added 87 hp electric motor, reached a combined 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, which the T8 Polestar Engineered models tuned up to 415 hp while maintaining the same torque.

In performance testing, the XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered, the lineup's most potent variant, excelled with an overview of hybrid capabilities, smart energy recuperation, and exceptional gasoline engine performance. The vehicle’s AWD and torque vectoring systems ensured smooth cornering and a stable, secure feel without truck-like bulk. It offered a serene, quiet cabin with impressive suspension comfort. Fuel economy ranged from 22 mpg city/29 mpg highway/25 mpg combined (T5 FWD) to 27 mpg combined for the T8 PHEV, boasting 57 MPGe in electric-only mode.

Conversely, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class began with a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the GLC 300 model, producing 255 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Available in RWD or 4MATIC AWD, the GLC 300 utilized multiple drive modes like Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ through the Dynamic Select system. It offered a good balance of power and responsiveness, though with occasional lag and inconveniences like the often-deactivated auto stop-start function.

For higher performance, the AMG GLC 43 featured a twin-turbo V6 with 385 hp and additional sporty features like adaptive air suspension and sport seats. The AMG GLC 63 and 63 S models introduced a monstrous twin-turbo V8 putting out 469 hp and 503 hp, respectively, attaining performance levels comparable to older sports cars.

The 2021 Volvo XC60 excelled in its form and function aspects, designed to offer a comfortable, stylish ride combined with ample functionality. The front seats gained notable acclaim for their adjustability and quick heating, particularly impressive during winter testing. The XC60's heating and defrosting systems handled freezing temperatures efficiently, indicating robust cold-weather performance. The vehicle provided excellent cabin storage solutions both upfront and in the rear seats, with intuitive and glove-friendly controls.

In terms of cargo, the XC60 offered 21.6 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, expandable to 63.6 cubic feet with seats folded, retaining usefulness across different configurations. It could tow up to 3,500 pounds, adapting well to various utility needs.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 provided 19.4 cubic feet (SUV) with rear seats up, growing to 56.5 cubic feet when folded. The GLC Coupe, with its sleek profile, reduced these volumes to 17.6 and 49.4 cubic feet, respectively. While the non-Coupe GLC ranked mid-pack in cargo space among compact SUVs, its Coupe variant was on par with similar models like the BMW X4. The GLC’s interior cleverly used space, offering good storage through center console, deep door pockets, and stowable cupholders.

The GLC’s rear seats needed no adjustment to offer adequate legroom, though the Coupe's design slightly reduced headroom. While both iterations provided commendable utility, the SUV model was generally preferred for practical use.

Volvo’s infotainment system, Sensus, became a polarizing feature. Utilizing a tablet-like interface, it appealed to some and frustrated others. Resembling an iPad in portrait orientation, it incorporated functional quadrants displayed at startup, simplifying access to audio, navigation, vehicle information, and communications. Though intuitive for tech-savvy users, its nested function calls required acclimatization, advocating for learning it while stationary.

Volvo integrated Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, WiFi hotspot, and the Volvo On Call app for remote operations and maintenance reminders. The Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system in the test model was another high point in XC60’s technological ensemble.

The Mercedes-Benz User Experience, or MBUX, in the GLC, featured a 10.25-inch touchscreen paired with a center console touch controller and a sophisticated voice-control system handling complex commands. This system presented an evolved version of the COMAND system, now more intuitive with improved user interaction. Offering both touch controller and touchscreen options, it accommodated various user preferences.

The GLC’s steering wheel added two small touch-sensitive pads, allowing customization of the digital instrument panel and navigating the infotainment screen. Integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was effective, though switching between the vehicle's radio and smartphone apps required a bit of acclimation.

Volvo's legacy in safety was prominent in the 2021 XC60, which reaped the benefits of decades of safety innovation. The XC60 earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS and five-star ratings from NHTSA for its various models. It came equipped with a plethora of standard safety features, including LED headlights, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, collision avoidance, various mitigation systems, numerous airbags, run-off road protection, and a Park Assist Camera. Volvo’s Pilot Assist offered a semi-autonomous driving experience, integrating adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance. A notable safety identifier was the gold safety belts in the T8 Polestar Engineered models, which uniquely highlighted the vehicle's commitment to safety.

Mercedes-Benz GLC included standard safety features like automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert, along with front and rear parking sensors. However, these sensors were found to be overly sensitive, sometimes issuing false positives that could be distracting. Optional features extended to a 360-degree parking camera, dynamic cruise control, automatic high beams, and lane departure warning.