THE Mercedes-Benz GLC 250d 4MATIC Sport stands proud as one of the most luxurious and capable mid-sized premium SUVs on the market.

Certainly no cheapie at £39,180 this one ticks all the boxes for those who want simply the best to be seen on their driveway.

The GLC is the three-pointed star brand's answer to a plethora of cars like this which are competing for sales in a crowded marketplace. These days it seems that everyone wants to be seen in a car of this type and they come in all sizes.

The GLC is roomy and impressive to look at with Mercedes style signatures in all areas.

Rather than being bulky this is a lean and sleek offering which features a businesslike stance and can stand proud when parked alongside virtually all of its competitors.

And it is loaded with modern features including LED high performance headlights with LED daytime running lights, privacy glass and a raft of security, and safety features.

These include an adaptive braking system, attention assist for analysing the driver's behaviour and steering movements. If patterns are recognised which characterise drowsiness, then the driver is prompted to take a break.

Other standard items include collision prevention assist plus technology which gives a visual warning if the distance between a vehicle in front is inadequate - a system that can help by applying the brake if the driver fails to react.

Inside the car was black Artico leather upholstery and all the features which make a vehicle a Mercedes. Particularly pleasing was the black ash wood trim which added a very special touch.

A major plus is the 9G-Tronic plus nine-speed automatic transmission which was mated to the 2,143cc four-cylinder diesel engine which turns out 204bhp and can whisk the car up to 138mph with a 0-62mph acceleration time of 7.6 seconds.

Inside are all the modern tech devices you would need such as integrated media interface, DAB radio and a top end sat nav system.

In the UK the GLC is available in the now familiar SE, Sport and AMG Line trim levels.

The C in the GLC name refers to its link with the C-Class, with which it shares parts of its modular architecture.

This has resulted in an exceptionally spacious cabin and equally generous luggage capacity, wrapped in sleek and ultra-efficient bodywork that posts a drag co-efficient of Cd value of 0.31.

The nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic transmissions, drives all four wheels through intelligent 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive.

This imparts a sophisticated driving experience governed by the Dynamic Select handling control system and its five driving programmes - Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual.

The GLC can also be specified with the intelligent Off-Road Engineering package, which features a further five off-road driving modes - Slippery, Off-Road, Incline, Rocking Assist and Trailer.