The Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology has been revealed as a fresh new mid-size electric SUV from the three-pointed star brand, ready to take on the BMW iX3 and Audi Q6 e-tron.
It’s launching in Europe during the first half of 2026, and in Australia during the second half of 2026.
Much as the new iX3 has effectively the same name as the combustion-powered X3 but a different platform, the GLC with EQ Technology uses separate underpinnings – the dedicated MB.EA electric vehicle (EV) platform – to the combustion-powered GLC.
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It also has a different look to the GLC but, more importantly, a dramatically different look from Mercedes-Benz’s slow-selling Electric Vehicle Architecture-based models like the similarly sized EQE SUV.
It’s headlined by a new “brand-defining chromed grille”, featuring a thick chromed frame and a “smoked-glass look mesh structure”. It can be had in illuminated guise – with an illuminated central star, depending on the market – which features 942 polycarbonate backlit dots.
Down back, there are star-shaped elements to the tail lights, reminiscent of the E-Class.
It rides on wheels up to 21 inches, and features LED headlights with next-generation Digital Light that promises a greater high-resolution lighting field but 50 per cent lower energy consumption for the lighting module.
Ultra Range high-beam is now incorporated into the cornering lights, allowing it to swivel dynamically. The cornering lights also use camera info and map data to determine their adjustments.
Despite looking more upright than the EQE SUV, the drag coefficient is only fractionally worse – 0.26 versus 0.25Cd for its blobbier showroom-mate.
Here’s how the GLC with EQ Technology and the regular GLC measure up:
| GLC with EQ Technology | GLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4845mm | 4722mm |
| Width | 1913mm | 1890mm |
| Height | 1644mm | 1634mm |
| Wheelbase | 2972mm | 2888mm |
Mercedes-Benz says the longer wheelbase translates to 13mm more front and 47mm more rear legroom, with front and rear headroom up by 46mm and 17mm respectively.
Boot space is 570 litres, expanding to 1740L when you drop the 40:20:40 rear seats. There’s also a 128L storage compartment under the bonnet.
The new mid-size electric SUV has been revealed in flagship GLC400 4Matic guise, with an additional four variants to follow including single-motor rear-wheel drive configurations.
The dual-motor all-wheel drive GLC400 4Matic uses a 94kWh (usable) lithium-ion battery providing it with 713km of range on the WLTP cycle.
Claimed energy consumption is between 14.9 and 18.8 kilowatt hours per 100km. Note these WLTP figures are preliminary.
An 800V electrical system supports DC fast-charging at up to 330kW, via which 300km of range can be added in 10 minutes, says Mercedes-Benz. The standard AC charge rate is 11kW, with 22kW AC charging optional.
A DC converter also allows the GLC400 4Matic to be charged at 400V fast-charging stations, while in some markets the new SUV will support Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) charging.
The GLC400 4Matic produces 360kW of power, good for a 0-100km/h time of 4.3 seconds (claimed). A torque figure hasn’t been revealed.
There’s a two-speed gearbox located at the rear. First gear has a ratio of 11:1, which is intended to deliver strong acceleration and efficiency and a high towing capacity – Mercedes-Benz claims the GLC400 can tow up to 2400kg, and it features Trailer Manouevuring Assist.
Second gear has a ratio of 5:1 for strong power delivery and efficiency at high speeds.
You can toggle between Eco, Comfort, Sport, Individual and Terrain modes, and four different levels of regenerative braking including a one-pedal mode. Up to 300kW of brake recuperation is available.
Mercedes-Benz says it has further reduced the proportion of cobalt used in the battery, and has focused on ease of accessibility and replacement – the battery cover is screwed on rather than glued, for example.
A heat pump uses waste heat from the electric motors and battery to heat the cabin.
The GLC with EQ Technology features a four-link axle at the front and a multi-link rear axle.
Airmatic air suspension with intelligent suspension control and rear-axle steering are included in an optional technology package.
The intelligent suspension control includes a Car-to-X function which Mercedes-Benz has developed and applied to patent, whereby damping can be electrically adjusted based on information from a Mercedes-Benz vehicle driving ahead sent in real-time.
The Airmatic air suspension also uses Google Maps data to keep the vehicle as low as possible for as long as possible to improve energy consumption.
Rear-axle steering sees the rear wheels turn by up to 2.5 degrees in the same direction as the front ones at speeds above 60km/h, while below 60km/h they’ll steer in the opposite direction by up to 4.5 degrees.
The feature is intended to make the GLC EQ stabler at high speeds and nimbler at lower ones, and overall it reduces the turning circle by 90cm to 11.2m.
There’s a range of artificial propulsion sounds found in other Mercedes-Benz EVs, but joining the range is Fractal Fusion which “embodies a hedonistic, futuristic lifestyle, blending nostalgic 1980s arcade-game tones and synthwave music with modern, vibrant synth textures”.
There’s also Granular Fuzz, which “offers an expressive, organic style that emphasises individualism and adventurousness, combining fat guitar riffs, epic orchestral soundtrack elements, nature samples and expansive electronic effects”.
You can also choose between two different sounds for the external Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS).
Inside, there are the round metallic air vents and door-mounted seat controls we’ve come to expect from Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz says it has responded to customer feedback and introduced a new steering wheel, reintroducing a rocker switch for the cruise control and a roller for volume control.
The other kind of rock ‘n roll can be enjoyed through an available Burmester 4D surround system with stainless steel speaker grilles.
Ambient lighting is available, including in the standard panoramic glass roof where it can illuminate 162 stars.
The glass roof is also available with switchable glass, featuring Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal technology, featuring nine zones.
There’s a choice of comfort or more heavily bolstered sport front seats, and all seats have the seal of approval from Aktion Gesunder Rücken (Organisation for Healthy Backs).
Heating is standard with memory optional, and you can specify a Vegan Package where all interior materials are certified by The Vegan Society… or go the other direction and have the seats and doors upholstered in Nappa leather.
You can also choose between a raft of different inlays, from wood to carbon-fibre, metallic-blended fabric, and Mercedes-Benz’s “ship deck” trim in black with aluminium inlays.
The headline act, however, is an enormous 39.1-inch MBUX Hyperscreen available which uses over 1000 individual LEDs.
It’s comprised of a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 14-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 14-inch passenger display, the latter of which can be used to access over 40 apps plus video streaming including via Disney+.
Vehicles without the Hyperscreen go without the passenger display, and in its place there’s a “digital decorative element” on which you can choose to display either a personal photo or one of 12 predefined images.
If the interior camera sees the driver looking at the passenger side of the Hyperscreen for a certain period, some content is automatically dimmed, while Mercedes-Benz also uses a “special algorithm” in the graphics driver software to improve the readability of the display in sunlight.
Running the fourth-generation MBUX operating system, Mercedes-Benz claims the GLC EQ’s in-car infotainment system is the first to integrate AI from Microsoft and Google, using a Multi Agent Approach which is like “talking to a friend”.
The MBUX Virtual Assistant has a “living avatar” in the form of the Mercedes-Benz star, which turns green when you thank it and even “shows joy” when telling a joke. It’s the kind of cutesy stuff becoming increasingly common in Chinese vehicles.
It’s not even the only avatar in the GLC EQ.
There’s also a “human-like avatar, which emerges from a condensing cloud of stars [which] embodies intelligence in a technologically futuristic way” and LittleBenz which “with its expressive face, allows for an even stronger connection on a personal level – its lively form invites inspiring interaction”.
Naturally, the GLC EQ supports over-the-air updates for all vehicle software.
Up to 10 cameras, 5 sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors power the GLC EQ’s suite of active safety and driver assist technology.
There’s adaptive cruise control with lane centring, and this will be joined at a later point by Lane Change Assist Plus which enables automated lane changes in urban areas when you turn on the indicator.
Mercedes-Benz is also launching MB. Drive Assist Pro in the US and China first, which “enables a seamless and safe point-to-point driving experience, even in dense urban traffic”.
Other features include semi-autonomous parking assist and surround-view cameras with a transparent bonnet function, providing a depiction of what’s underneath the front of the car.
The GLC EQ will be built in Bremen, Germany alongside combustion-powered vehicles. Mercedes-Benz says it delivers a two-thirds reduction in carbon footprint across its entire lifecycle compared to the combustion-powered GLC.