Now it’s my turn to get behind the wheel, though on a much smaller dune, which I am totally fine with. I start out in Terrain mode with stability control fully turned on, which does more than just adjust the ride height. With Terrain mode activated the front motor is always on, and torque distribution between the axles is constantly being adjusted. The traction control system adapts to speed, wheel articulation, traction levels, and throttle and steering input. It simulates the behavior of a differential lock and allows for more drive slip, which helps when “churning” on loose surfaces. Terrain mode also adjusts the anti-lock brakes for optimal deceleration and linear pedal travel depending on the surface, taking steering angle into account for increased safety, and the regenerative braking paddles on the steering wheel are used to control the hill-descent control. Terrain mode will remain engaged until you pass 68 mph, which is more than enough for this desert driving.
Mercedes says the GLC400 will hit 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, and it doesn’t feel like being in the sand slows it down that much. Accelerating from a stop is punchy and totally stress-free, with no issues in the deep sand. I take a few runs at the dune, able to pull off some subtle, controlled drifts that are fun but not very showy. Once I’m used to how the car performs, we put the ESP in its off setting and the fun really begins.
My passenger-seat instructor emphasizes how easily the GLC will rotate just by using the accelerator, encouraging me to drive mainly with my right foot. The engineers have been using this trip to fine-tune the throttle control, so it knows when you’re accelerating harder and wanting to get silly with it. As I approach the dune’s peak at near-freeway speeds, I give the steering wheel the lightest of flicks and mash the right pedal, and the GLC’s tail energetically kicks out, whipping us into a lurid drift that results in huge plumes of sand and even bigger laughs.
Using mainly just the throttle to drift instantly feels natural, and it only gets more enjoyable the more I’m out there. I attack the dunes dozens of times, from different angles, at different speeds, and with different levels of sideways aspirations in mind. The GLC takes it all in stride, and I’m grinning the entire time. I hoon around some flat sections of the desert as well, chaining slides together and creating figure-eights in the sand. Doing this sort of dune driving can be daunting, especially if you’re not in a “real” off-roader and are trying to actually have fun and go kinda fast, but the GLC makes it easy. “OK, I’m just gonna go oooooone more time,” I say for the sixth time.
