The Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV has earned the highest award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) — the 2017 IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK+. The GLC SUV, launched in calendar-year 2015, passed a series of crash tests with high ratings thanks to intelligent body construction, avoided collisions in IIHS track tests with its standard front crash prevention system and received accolades for optional headlights in order to earn this rating.
The Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV is larger but lighter than its predecessor, the GLK which it replaced when it arrived to the marketplace in December 2015. Thanks to an intelligent mix of aluminum, high- and ultra-high strength steels, the body is both 110 lbs lighter and provides an even more rigid passenger safety compartment surrounded by deformation zones. In a series of five crashworthiness tests which include small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints testing, the GLC SUV received “good” ratings. In the event of a collision, the GLC SUV helps keep occupants secured with three-point safety belts with belt tensioning and belt-force limitation for driver, front passenger and rear outer passengers and numerous airbags.
Additionally, the GLC SUV received a “superior” rating for front crash prevention thanks to the standard COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS system’s ability to avoid IIHS collision testing at both 12 mph and 25 mph.
Further safety systems on the GLC SUV that received accolades from the IIHS include the optional static and dynamic LED headlights.
The GLC SUV will be joining the 2017 E-Class Sedan and the 2017 GLE SUV as Top Saftey PICK+ awarded by IIHS.