The Mercedes-Benz GLC is a mid-size premium SUV – and the global Mercedes bestseller. The one pictured here might not look too radical at a glance, but is in fact an all-new, all-electric version called the Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology. We’ll shorten that to GLC EQ for sanity but be in no doubt: this is a seriously impressive bit of kit.
Revealed for the first time at the 2025 Munich motor show (officially known as IAA Mobility in Munich), it’s immediately apparent that Mercedes has thrown absolutely everything it’s got at this new electric SUV. As befits the latest version of its bestselling model, it debuts new technology and incorporates features from the firm’s flagship, the Mercedes S-Class.
Following swiftly after the eye-opening new electric Mercedes CLA, the GLC EQ promises a 443-mile maximum driving range (making it one of the longest-range electric cars available), ultra-fast 800v charging (projecting 188 additional miles in just 10 minutes), a comfortable and dynamic driving experience – and the biggest screen Mercedes has ever fitted to a car. There’s even a leather-free interior that’s the first to be certified by The Vegan Society.
But appealing as it sounds, the new GLC EQ is unlikely to have everything its own way when it comes to attracting buyers. There’s also an all-new BMW iX3 at Munich 2025 that places a similar emphasis on cutting-edge technology, including a touted 500-mile driving range.
What makes the new Mercedes GLC EQ so special?
The GLC EQ does not replace the existing petrol and diesel models, but does outclass them in many areas. Not only is it the first Mercedes to get the company’s new-look illuminated and chromed grille design – which will be the defining face of Mercedes for years to come – it also has a longer wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles), significantly greater front and rear passenger space, and a bigger boot.
While the 570 litres of basic boot space is less than 600 or so offered by existing GLCs, with the rear seats folded you now get 1,740 litres (versus around 1,600) – plus there’s a 128-litre frunk (front trunk) under the bonnet for additional storage capacity. The electric motor system being far more compact than a conventional engine and gearbox.
The first version to reach the market will be called the GLC 400 4Matic. As well as that 443-mile driving range, this will be equipped with four-wheel drive and 360kW of power – equivalent to 489hp. ‘Intelligent’ air suspension similar to that fitted to the S-Class promises comfort, while up to 4.5 degrees of rear-wheel steering should improve agility.
The GLC 400 will also tow 2.4 tonnes and be equipped with a range of terrain-tackling technology including a camera system dubbed the ‘transparent bonnet’ that will allow you ‘see’ through the car to make steep climbs safer. Up to 10 outside cameras can be fitted in total, alongside five radar sensor and 12 ultrasonic sensors – all aiming to give the GLC supreme assisted driving capability.
Four other variants of GLC EQ will follow.
Interior exceptionalism
Far more immediately impressive than all of the above, however, is likely to be the interior. This has a staggering 39.1-inch MBUX ‘Hyperscreen’ that seamlessly stretches the entire width of the dashboard – the largest screen ever fitted to a Mercedes. Dominating the visual look of the cabin, this is optionally accompanied by a panoramic roof that has nine individually darkening sections and can be further enhanced by 162 illuminating stars incorporated within the surface.
The Hyperscreen and the ambient lighting will allow owners to tailor the mood of the interior, while fourth-generation MBUX operating system comes with Microsoft and Google AI (artificial intelligence) included to make the voice control ‘like chatting with a friend’. The front passenger will have over 40 apps available for their entertainment, too, including direct access to Disney+.
There’s more AI incorporated into the GLC EQ’s ‘MB.OS superbrain’, which integrates all of the vehicle’s functions for efficiency. Covering everything from charging speed to safety to over-the-air updates, Mercedes is also promising this will ‘learn driver preferences’ and adapt the car accordingly. The onboard computer chips are capable of handling 254 trillion operations per second.
As with many new-generation electric cars, the GLC EQ also features bidirectional charging – so it can off-load power to static batteries or function as a mobile generator – and Mercedes says owners will be able to purchase additional features as upgrades after they’ve taken delivery of the vehicle.
What this means for you
The electric car market certainly isn’t slowing down. With cars such as this Mercedes and the new generation of BMW iX3, the European legacy premium brands are hitting back hard against the influx of high-tech Chinese machinery that’s been threatening to overwhelm them for the past few years.
That two such major brands are launching two such significant electric SUVs at the same motorshow has got to be good news for car buyers – as the tech on offer here will certainly start spreading out to other cars very rapidly. And while the pace of change in the car market at the moment is almost bewildering, it does seem we are rapidly approaching a level where electric vehicles are no longer stymied by range anxiety or other negative traits.
There remains a question mark over the price of the GLC with EQ Technology. But the forerunning electric Mercedes CLA has come in at an aggressively low cost considering its capability, and the BMW iX3 is also keenly priced. So there could be good news for buyers on that front as well.
Expert’s view: This all sounds amazing, but should the AI integration make us wary?
While I’m not worried that Mercedes is about to become the automotive equivalent of the fictional Cyberdyne Systems and turn the GLC EQ into a wheeled incarnation of Skynet, the number of references to AI among the capabilities of this new car does make me raise an eyebrow.
It’s all very well adding AI chat functions to the infotainment system. Here, however, unless I’m mistaken, Mercedes is talking about using AI to adapt the GLC’s onboard systems to alter the way the vehicle behaves while you drive it. I’m sure that this won’t mean dramatic changes within the space of a single journey, but anything that interferes with the consistency of response from something as critical as a car does ring alarm bells for me. I prefer my cars to be predictably dynamic, rather than changeable or anticipatory, and my experience with AI elsewhere has so far proven it… unreliable. At best.
That aside, what a time this is to be in the market for a new premium SUV. The arrival of this car and the BMW iX3 at the same moment is very exciting. Here’s hoping they both live up to expectation on the road.
cj hubbard – Head of the Bauer digital automotive content hub for Parkers and CAR
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