The new electric Mercedes-Benz GLC is now available to order in the UK, starting from £60,350 – around 10% more than the ICE version, but cheaper
Stuttgart’s rival for the incoming BMW iX3 will launch in GLC 400 4Matic guise, with a twin-motor powertrain giving 482bhp for 0-62mph in 4.3secs, and a 94kWh battery that’s good for 406 miles of range and can charge at 330kW.
It will come in five different trim levels, ranging from entry-level Sport through AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and top-spec Premier Edition – priced at £73,350.
Eventually, Mercedes will offer the GLC with five different power outputs – the most efficient of which will return 435 miles of range – but has not confirmed plans for a single-motor derivative.
Mercedes GLC EV: everything you need to know
The electric GLC is the spearhead for what Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius has called “the biggest product offensive” in the company’s history.
Named the GLC with EQ Technology, the SUV is effectively a successor to the EQC. While that car was given its own name and styling, the new EV shares its title and general design language with the existing combustion-engined GLC, although the two models use different platforms.
The GLC is Mercedes’ best-selling car and sits in the premium SUV segment that Källenius sees as “the most important” to the firm.
The electric version uses the new MB.EA bespoke EV platform, which is designed for medium to large cars and has an 800V electrical architecture that allows for fast charging.
It also runs the latest version of the firm’s MB.OS infotainment software.
While the GLC EQ is all-new, it’s designed to closely resemble the existing GLC, explained Källenius: “If you were told this was the next-gen combustion GLC, you would say ‘yes, it’s the next logical step: it looks like a GLC’.”
The front is dominated by Mercedes’ new electric-only ‘Iconic Grille’, which is a larger and more upright design than on previous EVs.
The GLC EQ is broadly the same length as the ICE GLC, but its 2972mm wheelbase is 80mm longer – and nearly 100mm longer than the old EQC’s.
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