Behind the wheel of the new Mercedes-Benz GLC EV prototype

The caller Mercedes-Benz GLC EV volition get aboriginal this twelvemonth arsenic an indirect replacement for the EQC SUV, marking a strategical displacement successful Mercedes' electric exemplary strategy: 1 focused connected integration alternatively than reinvention.

This much pragmatic attack from Mercedes volition effect successful the GLC EV slotting alongside a facelifted mentation of the combustion-engined GLC adjacent year, wearing a near-identical look wrong and out. 

Company brag Ola Källenius wants little differentiation and greater cohesion between antithetic powertrains successful a bid to thrust EV sales, alternatively of its erstwhile propulsion of designing chiseled EVs with unsocial names and positioning.

Given that the GLC has regularly been Mercedes' best-selling exemplary since its instauration successful 2015, it's hoped that the GLC EV tin leverage the equity already built by the moniker and be a catalyst for Mercedes’ EV sales.

The strategy besides streamlines improvement and production, a important information arsenic Mercedes-Benz seeks to chopped costs arsenic it scales up its fig of electrical models.

While the next CLA volition beryllium the archetypal to travel this caller strategy, erstwhile some the EV and ICE variants are launched aboriginal this month, the GLC EV is the archetypal car to get alongside a sibling that's already connected merchantability with petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains.

Such is the value of the caller GLC EV, fixed its presumption arsenic a rival to the Audi Q6 E-tron, BMW iX3 and Porsche Macan Electric, that it's acceptable to header Mercedes’ show astatine the Munich centrifugal amusement successful September.

An aboriginal 2026 motorboat is pencilled for the UK.

The GLC EV is the archetypal exemplary to usage Mercedes' caller MB.EA level – a dedicated EV level that’s besides planned to underpin the upcoming electrical mentation of the C-Class saloon and junior G-Class off-roader, some acceptable to beryllium revealed successful 2026.

It's besides the archetypal exemplary to usage Mercedes' eATS 2.0 drivetrain, arsenic previewed by the Vision EQXX engineering conception successful 2023. In its astir potent dual-motor, four-wheel-drive form, it volition connection up to 483bhp. A single-motor, rear-wheel-drive exemplary with 268bhp is besides nether development.

Power is drawn from a 94.5kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery, which is claimed to present a scope of implicit 404 miles.

It each operates connected a caller 800V electrical architecture that provides a charging velocity of up to 320kW. This is bully for a 162-mile recharge successful 10 minutes.

Efficiency is further boosted by a caller vigor pump, which is not lone importantly much effectual than the strategy successful usage contiguous but besides acold much compact.

This has allowed Mercedes to integrate a 100-litre frunk successful summation to a 560-litre rear boot, providing the GLC EV with adjacent greater luggage abstraction than the ICE GLC on merchantability today.

Additionally, Mercedes has developed a blase caller brake vigor recuperation system, dubbed One Box. Unlike in traditional braking systems, the brake pedal is decoupled from the carnal braking system, with computers calculating however overmuch regen and however overmuch carnal disc should beryllium utilized for the desired braking levels.

Dominik Voogdt, caput of wide conveyance engineering for the GLC EV, describes this caller braking strategy arsenic a “game-changer” for wide efficiency.

The Galtispuoda Pass: a trial of grit and grip

For my archetypal thrust of the GLC EV, Mercedes has brought maine to the Galtispuoda upland pass, conscionable extracurricular Arjeplog successful Sweden’s Arctic north. This winding, snow-covered upland roadworthy is simply a relentless trial of a car’s mettle. It’s got it all: steep inclines, precipitous descents, accelerated unfastened bends and crisp hairpins – each with surfaces that, astatine this clip of year, displacement unpredictably from compacted snowfall to sheer crystal and backmost again earlier you realise.

With a dense cloak of disguise covering the prototype’s dashboard and different areas, we can’t accidental overmuch astir the interior plan yet, but that it departs rather radically from that of the ICE GLC models, which are apt to follow it, on with a caller pillar-to-pillar show sheet and different integer developments, including the caller MB.OS operating system, arsenic portion of a mid-life facelift earlier the extremity of adjacent year.

That said, the driving presumption and ergonomics each consciousness familiar, with emblematic Mercedes refinement and attraction to detail. A ample solid extortion floods the compartment with earthy light, portion a longer wheelbase than ICE GLC models (a payment of the EV's MB.EA platform) provides further space, overmuch of which has been allocated to extending rear-seat limb room. It’s precise roomy, noticeably truthful successful the back.

But I haven’t flown halfway to the North Pole to beryllium a passenger: I'm here to drive. From my starting constituent astatine the acme of the Galtispuoda, there’s a soundless yet undeniable urgency to the qualities of the caller eATS 2.0 drivetrain successful the archetypal mile oregon so, the benignant that pins maine to the driver’s spot erstwhile traction is recovered and exploited by the GLC EV’s fast-reacting four-wheel-drive strategy and different driving assistance systems. Despite the treacherous conditions, there’s dependable traction and swift acceleration connected the straighter sections of the pass.

The stability-control strategy works rapidly and wholly successful the inheritance without ever feeling intrusive oregon overbearing, keeping advancement creaseless and controlled. Voogdt says changes to the conveyance operating strategy person reduced the magnitude of CPU networking, providing faster and much seamless power of powerfulness to each of the wheels.

It shows. Even successful these conditions, the GLC EV builds velocity effortlessly. But it’s successful the corners wherever it truly impresses. The steering, typically airy successful feel, is precise precise and offers rather a batch of feedback, inspiring assurance from the outset. It’s backed up by a rear-wheel steering relation that has been tuned by the aforesaid squad of engineers liable for the akin systems utilized by Mercedes-AMG models, with 4.5deg of rear steer successful this prototype.

The GLC EV's wide agility belies its size and weight. It’s not conscionable the mode it turns successful sharply and confidently; it’s the composure it maintains mid-corner erstwhile the aboveground shifts from snowfall to crystal and backmost again earlier you adjacent scope the exit that gets my attention.

I'm driving with measured throttle inputs done the winding sections of the pass, being cautious to dilatory enactment up to the limits of what the roadworthy conditions allow. But adjacent so, the GLC EV feels highly lively, changing absorption with genuinely anxious qualities. And determination are nary specially prepared spiked tyres to heighten grip – conscionable regular wintertime tyres.

The aerial suspension, with its adaptable thrust height, keeps assemblage question good controlled. These aren't the benignant of conditions successful which to marque a definitive telephone connected the finer points of its double-wishbone and five-link suspension, but it’s already wide the GLC EV operates connected a acold higher dynamic level than the aged EQC. It’s fluid and good balanced, with a greater consciousness of power and precision.

And what of those 'game-changing' new brakes? Apart from the dependable consciousness of the pedal, what’s awesome is conscionable however overmuch of the braking unit is handled purely by regen, even successful situations wherever you would expect the friction brakes to instrumentality over. The car brings itself to a implicit halt nether what feels similar genuinely hard braking without ever engaging the carnal brakes.

You change the magnitude of regen by tapping the cogwheel selector stalk guardant and backward. It’s seamless, efficient and amazingly effective.

The GLC EV volition beryllium produced astatine Mercedes plants successful Bremen, Germany, and Beijing, China, with the anticipation of further accumulation successful Tuscaloosa, US, depending connected tariff considerations.