Will you just look at that photo? What does that look like to you? To my eyes, it looks like a pretty normal side view that’s unmistakably a Mercedes-Benz. That shouldn’t be remarkable, but Mercedes’ weak EQ strategy with its electric cars fundamentally failed in out-Tesla-ing Tesla. Now, they’re turning the page. The newest electric GLC will look remarkably like a normal Mercedes.
This debut isn’t without head scratchers, however. Fresh on the trail of the BMW iX3, which also just launched, Mercedes has gone and called this car the “GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ Technology.” That’s 25 characters longer than “iX3” and at least 12 more than any buyer wants to call their fresh whip. So, sticking with just three characters, GLC, here’s a rundown of what Mercedes has revealed for their latest EV, and the carmaker’s strategy going forward.
- Base Trim Engine
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2L I4 Hybrid
- Base Trim Transmission
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9-speed automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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All-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
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255 HP @5800 RPM
- Base Trim Torque
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295 lb.-ft. @ 2000 RPM
A Far Prettier Face
It should matter less than it does, but car buyers care about how their cars look from the outside—even though we spend all of our time inside of them. But if you’re bringing home a $60,000-ish Benz—which is a total guess, because Mercedes hasn’t revealed the sticker—you sure want it to look like a Mercedes. And while you can, if you want, order an illuminated version of the new Benz grille for your GLC, which gets 942 embedded LEDs, you don’t have to. It’ll still have this mug, minus the illumination. And this revised face is the new branding for all new Mercedes. And it looks like you’d expect. It’s modern, but relatively simple. And that’s perfect.
The Shape Looks “Right”
Mercedes’ design looks like it’s turning a correct corner. Both the EVs and crossovers were all looking a bit too generic and a bit “soft.” With the new CLA and now the new GLC, you can see something more of the brand’s history. There’s some tradition and heritage and solidity. Sexy? Maybe not quite, but “Mercedes-Benz” DNA is showing through again, and that’s a good thing.
The EV Bona Fides
Not to be outdone by BMW’s iX3, Mercedes’ release on the GLC was a novella spanning 29 pages. Within the fine print, we’d discerned the following:
- The GLC 400 4MATIC will be the debut and top model
- Power output is 483 horsepower from a 94 kWh battery and dual motors
- Range up to 443 miles per charge
- Both 800V and 400V DC fast-charging-capable, and 188 miles (max) recharge in ten minutes
Some of these numbers are comparable to what BMW just debuted on the iX3. However, BMW says up to 230 miles of range can be added in ten minutes. The iX3’s total range is 400 miles. Before you go thinking Mercedes is firm on their 443 miles, they’re not. They plowed in a bunch of fine print to say that that number hasn’t been certified. BMW is also hedging, saying they’re using the EPA’s testing cycle, but that their stats are preliminary, too. So call that one a draw.
But BMW’s faster charging speed likely isn’t. The iX3’s 463 horsepower is a tad shy of the GLC’s output, but one factor neither carmaker is mentioning is weight.
A Velvet Rope — Of Sorts
Mercedes-Benz, like so many carmakers, is trying to make public charging easier. So with the debut of the GLC, they’re saying that owners will be able to automatically hold a “reservation” on Mercedes’ High-Power Charging Network. Accordingly, when you route to a Mercedes network charger and are within 15 minutes of a station, the car will make the reservation and lock that charger for your place in the digital queue.
An EQB being charged at a Mercedes charging station
Surely, you have questions about this! Like…just how many chargers are there in this network, currently? Answer: roughly 100 nationwide. But Mercedes is partnering with IONNA to help build out 10,000 stations nationwide. And if you’re one of those folks who tries to charge publicly on a regular basis, you know that a reservation system and a heaping helping of AI management software to grease that would be wise. You might even buy a specific EV for that feature, right?
Tech Aplenty
Mercedes bosses recently made clear that they felt they went too far toward screen overload. But maybe that message doesn’t matter? Because the new GLC gets an optional hyperscreen that spans 39.1 inches across the dash. This integrates three screens, including the driver’s instrument cluster, a central infotainment screen, and another one ahead of the front passenger. This is Mercedes’ largest execution of the hyperscreen tech, and incorporates more than 1,000 individual LEDs. Mercedes says each of the two non-instrument screens are separately dimmable.
Seeing Stars
In addition, a la Rolls-Royce, Mercedes has created a unique display on the GLC’s optional panoramic glass roof. First, that panel functions as a multi-layered screen. Meaning, you can convert it from clear to opaque, and also, like with the new Nissan Leaf, that roof can be converted to show patterns as well. But, naturally, Mercedes goes further, using an infrared-reflecting coating that the carmaker says resists transmitting UV and other rays into the cabin. And, for a light show at night, drivers can talk to their Benz and say, “Hey Mercedes, show me the stars,” and the Mercedes-Benz operating system, equipped with AI from Google and Microsoft, will transform the ceiling into an illuminated display of 162 stars—in up to 64 different colors.
Some Real Buttons!
Mercedes did mention that their customers didn’t love “haptic” switches for functions like cruise control, so they’ve brought back some switches and rockers, rather than embed functions in touch-only controls that are meant to respond to touch and change function accordingly. And in practice, a lot of us at TopSpeed have found those controls less precise and less pleasing than good-old-fashioned analog interfaces.
Digitized Driving
Mercedes is combining two different approaches to ride and handling. First, they’re leveraging what they say is “S-Class technology” via an optional air suspension and optional rear-axle steering. Customers might especially want that because this system will be able to raise and lower ride height not just for easy entry and exit, or to deal with off-road obstacles, but because the system will work with Google Maps to “know” where to adjust ride height, keeping the GLC aerodynamic at all speeds, which increases efficiency and reduces wind noise.
Also, Mercedes will roll out “Car-to-X” vehicle-to-vehicle data transmission that can, for example, relay information about road surface grip ahead or a rough bit of tarmac in an upcoming construction zone, telling your car what’s coming so that it will adapt more quickly.
See-Through Technology
Land Rover had a patent on technology that enabled their cars to stitch different camera angles together so that drivers could “see through” the hood while off-roading. That patent has expired and the GLC 400 4MATIC is the latest rig to have this capability. FYI: It’s very handy even if you never take your Benz rock crawling, because you can see exactly where the wheels are in a tight parking garage—or in your own garage if your kid neglected to tidy up a pile of toys.
A Roomier GLC
If Mercedes is going to get more luxury customers to give up on gas, one boon is that the new GLC electric is roomier than the gas car. A lot roomier. Especially in the second row, where rear seat passengers get nearly two inches more legroom and an inch more headroom. Maximum cargo volume is also better in the electric version of the GLC, with a maximum of 61.4-cubic feet vs. the 56.3 cubic feet in the gas version.
Mind you, the BMW iX3 is better still, with 30.4 cubic feet of volume with the rear seats upright, vs. just 20.1 in the Benz. And the iX3’s 65 cubic feet of maximum capacity is also superior.
TopSpeed’s Take
The word “optional” was used more than 20 times on the Mercedes-Benz release about the new GLC. It’s highly likely that some options will be vetoed, not because customers cannot afford them, but because the rise of “shy tech,” is starting to seep in as true luxury. That’s the idea that screens are already invading our lives, and what we seek is relief from them—not more of them.
All that aside, Mercedes’ success or failure with the electric GLC will likely be measurable by how the car looks, which is blessedly like a Mercedes, and real-world range. The carmaker has impressively, steadily, built up leadership in the luxury space. Now they have to lead on key EV factors where brands like Lucid, Rivian, and even Genesis have taken hold.