MERCEDES-Benz's updated family SUV is going big on safety.

The GLC is the best-selling luxury vehicle in the country and easily eclipses the rival BMW X3 and Audi Q5.

And now Mercedes is moving the goalposts further ahead by upgrading infotainment, installing fresh engines and applying a serious dollop of advanced safety tech.

Headlining the upgrade is the exit warning function that reduces the risk of hitting an approaching cyclist or vehicle when opening the door.

The vehicle can also detect congestion ahead and prepare for slow moving traffic. Its advanced autonomous emergency braking can detect frontal cross traffic and traffic jams.

Also new, but not certain for Australia, is the emergency corridor feature that's part of the semi-autonomous active steer assist. When deployed, it makes way on multi-lane roads to allow emergency vehicles to pass unhindered. Drivers in Germany are required to do this by law. The tech works at up to 60km/h.

The GLC also gets the new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment, which acts like a digital assistant and responds to commands after a "Hey Mercedes" voice prompt. MBUX can control navigation, audio, climate and even read out text messages.

However, the GLC misses out on the continuous dual digital screen layout seen on the new A-Class hatch. Instead it gets a more conventional digital instrument display and a free-floating display in the centre of the dash.

Two updated four-cylinder petrol engines usher in mild hybrid technology. The 48V hybrid set-up works with a belt-driven starter motor that powers the electronics, provide short power boosts and allows the vehicle to coast with the engine switched off.

The three new four-cylinder diesels do not feature the mild-hybrid tech.

The GLC is set to debut at the 2019 Geneva motor show next week before arriving in Australian showrooms in the third quarter.