Mercedes-Benz has finally pulled the wraps off its next-generation GLC electric SUV at the 2025 Munich IAA Mobility show, and here’s the headline: this isn’t just an ‘electric version’ of the GLC. It’s the official replacement for the EQC, built on the brand’s fresh MB.EA all-electric platform. In short, Mercedes has stopped experimenting with “EQ as a side project” and is now going all-in.
Two flavours are on the menu. The GLC300+ sticks to rear-wheel drive with 369 bhp and 51.4 kgm, while the all-wheel-drive GLC400 4MATIC brings proper fireworks with 483 bhp and a thumping 82.3 kgm. Both share the same 94 kWh battery, run an 800-volt architecture, and if you find yourself at a fast charger, you can go from 10 to 80 per cent in around 24 minutes — which is just enough time to grab a coffee and argue about whether electric SUVs are “real” SUVs.
Dimensionally, it’s grown. About five inches longer than the petrol-powered GLC, with a wheelbase stretched by 84 mm, landing at 2,972 mm. That translates into more space inside, plus a useful 570 litres of boot space and an extra 128 litres in the frunk. The range? A WLTP-certified 713 km, which is enough to drive from Munich to Paris without range anxiety… as long as you don’t hammer it like a stolen AMG.
Visually, it plays the “familiar but different” card. Still recognisably GLC-shaped, but the details shout EV. The grille now glows like a Christmas decoration thanks to 942 LEDs, the headlights get star-shaped DRLs, and the rear sports a sleek light bar sprinkled with tiny stars — clearly Mercedes has been raiding the CLA’s parts bin. There’s even a discreet roof spoiler helping it hit a drag coefficient of 0.26, which is slipperier than most people’s excuses for being late. Standard wheels are 20-inch, but you can level up to 21s if you feel the urge to impress the neighbours.
Step inside, and Mercedes has finally admitted that nobody liked those fussy touch-sensitive controls. Physical buttons and knobs are back on the steering wheel and centre console, because sometimes, you just want to turn the volume up without launching the car into hyperspace. Speaking of hyperspace, the optional 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen dominates the dash, fusing instrument cluster, infotainment, and passenger display into one giant piece of tech theatre.
Ambient lighting is everywhere — dash, doors, roofline, even the air vents glow. Throw in a choice of trims like Artico or Nappa leather, metallic finishes, or carbon fibre, and you’ve basically got a rolling nightclub that also happens to be an SUV.
The new Mercedes-Benz GLC electric SUV blends classic GLC DNA with flashy EV tech, and the result is both familiar and futuristic. It’s faster, roomier, and glitzier than its combustion sibling, and with those light signatures, you’ll never lose it in a parking lot again.
