While the GLC Coupe Concept continues to draw attention as a production-ready preview of Mercedes' upcoming competitor for the BMW X4,->ke2999 the standard GLC came out for yet another testing session ahead of its official debut on June 17, 2015. Now with a lot less camouflage covering its body and with all of the production parts in place, the GLC looks ready to hit the assembly line.

As you may already know, the GLC is actually a renamed second-generation GLK.->ke2078 Mercedes->ke187 changed the crossover's designation according to its new naming scheme, which aims to establish a better connection between vehicles sharing the same platform. In this case, the "C" in the GLC comes from the C-Class,->ke1593 the sedan equivalent of the compact crossover. And not surprisingly, the GLC's exterior styling is heavily based on the C-Class'. Actually, the crossover's appearance is similar to a 2015 C-Class Wagon, the major differences being the increased ride height, the added plastic cladding, and the shorter rear overhang and rear quarter glass.

The MRA architecture isn't the only thing the GLC shares with the C-Class. The sedan will also get the sedan's powerplants, including the bi-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 from the 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 and the hybrid drivetrain from the 2016 C350e model. In the United States, the GLC will initially arrive with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 3.0-liter V-6 producing 241 and 329 turbocharged horses, respectively.

Continue reading to learn more about the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Why it matters

Although the GLC's exterior design wasn't much of a mystery until now, these new spy shots confirm the crossover uses the same styling as the C-Class range, which means it has ditched the boxy features of its predecessor, the GLK.

2016 Mercedes GLC - Spy Shots

Read our full review here.