- The Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Expertise is its most vital EV but, bringing Mercedes’s latest tech to its most vital phase.
- The GLC will supply over 400 miles of vary and comes with an absolute boatload of AI options.
- Mercedes wants the GLC, as the corporate struggles with declining China gross sales and weak demand for its current EVs.
Mercedes is in the course of an electric-car do-over.
The model wager huge on EVs initially, solely to discover a lukewarm reception for its egg-shaped EQ vehicles. Having realized that lesson, Mercedes’s subsequent technology of EVs is meant to supply higher software program, a extra typical design language and much more environment friendly drivetrains. We have seen that each one on the compact CLA sedanhowever there is a extra vital check case coming quickly.
That is the 2026 Mercedes GLC with EQ Expertise, and it is the automaker’s most vital EV but.
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Supply: Mercedes-Benz
Overview & Specs
The primary huge change with the brand new technology of Mercedes EVs is that they not use the EQ-plus-letter naming conference. As an alternative of a second-generation EQC, that is the GLC with EQ Expertise, an admittedly inelegant identify that however captures what the mission is: ship an electrical tackle Mercedes’s best-seller, the GLC compact luxurious crossover.
Which means it will go proper in opposition to the new BMW iX3. It will arrive at battle with a lot of the identical equipment that BMW is bringing into its next-gen crossover: An 800-volt-class structure, a brand new software program suite, a promise of fixed over-the-air enhancements, a extra environment friendly powertrain and an AI-enabled cockpit. We’ll get into that later.
Photograph by: Mercedes-Benz
Like BMW, Mercedes is promising over 400 miles of vary, although particular figures for the U.S. market usually are not but out there. We do know that the GLC will supply two powertrains to start out. The bottom mannequin is the rear-wheel-drive GLC 300+ W/EQ Expertise, providing 369 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel-drive GLC 400 4Matics get 483 hp and 596 lb-ft of torque, good for a zero-to-60 time of 4.4 seconds.
If that is not fast sufficient, you’ll be able to safely assume an AMG model is within the works. Mercedes says both model of the GLC ought to cost from 10-80% in beneath 24 minutes, peaking at a wholesome 330 kilowatts.
Inside, you get a really gargantuan display screen on top-end fashions. The optionally available Mercedes-Benz “Hyperscreen” is the model’s greatest show ever, at 39.1 inches. That is over three toes of diagonal display screen actual property. However commonplace GLC consumers should accept the “Superscreen,” which integrates three separate shows: a ten.25-inch digital gauge cluster, a 14-inch infotainment display screen and a 14-inch passenger-facing display screen.
The Hyperscreen is a pillar-to-pillar show providing Mercedes’ newest software program.
Photograph by: Mercedes-Benz
No matter which display screen you select, you get Mercedes’s latest model of its MB.OS infotainment software program. Naturally, you additionally get its superior driver help options, together with visitors jam help and automated lane centering with auto lane adjustments. Massaging seats, air suspension, four-wheel steering and matrix LED headlights are all out there.
Why It Issues
All three of the large German automakers have been struggling with two concurrent points: EV progress is going on extra slowly than they thought, and Chinese language gross sales are collapsing far faster than anticipated.
Firms that used to scoff at Chinese language automakers at the moment are having to play catch-up, as software-defined architectures have been the norm in China for some time now. With strain at dwelling from imported Chinese language automobiles, gross sales in China tanking and the U.S. market now protected by a tariff wall, it is a robust time to be a German automaker.
Mercedes is aware of it has to retake the lead. It has been working arduous to show issues round, beginning with the CLA EV, which is meant to be a brand new effectivity benchmark. However whereas the drivetrain developments are vital, the true problem is constructing a software program platform that may rival the smoothness and ease-of-use you get in a Tesla, Rivian or Chinese language EV. As BMW goes all-in on “zonal architectures,” Mercedes is focusing much less on how the software program is constructed and extra on what capabilities it could supply.
The GLC ditches the blobby styling of the EQ SUVs, although its grille is actually a press release piece.
Photograph by: Mercedes-Benz
So whereas BMW appears to be holding its AI efforts extra inside, Mercedes went procuring round.
The brand new GLC’s voice assistant will fetch info from each ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing AI, and makes use of Google Gemini-powered conversational navigationwhich may deal with advanced queries like “discover me an Italian restaurant that is open proper now and presents outside seating.” Mercedes calls this the “Multi-Agent” strategy: “By choosing the right supply for every job, even inside the identical dialog, it
unites the collective data of the web,” the automaker mentioned.
On prime of all of that, Mercedes says its personal AI can present details about the automobile itself. For example, Mercedes says you’ll be able to ask your automotive whether or not you’ll be able to plug it into your family outlet, and the AI agent will assist educate you about charging practices. That appears helpful to me, at the same time as a little bit of an AI skeptic.
However whether or not all of this advertising and marketing copy interprets to a world-class expertise in the true world stays unknown. Our man Andrei Nedelea obtained a while with the Mercedes CLA latelyand whereas he preferred the software program, he wasn’t blown away by its AI options. We’ll must see if the GLC strikes the ball ahead.
The star-shaped taillights are a singular flourish.
Photograph by: Mercedes-Benz
Pricing & On-Sale Date
In Andrei’s CLA assessment, he mentioned the success of the CLA will come right down to how a lot it prices. Months later, we nonetheless do not know the reply to that, and the GLC is not any completely different. Provided that the Mercedes might be inbuilt Europe, although, it will be topic to an import tariff within the U.S.
With out pricing for both mannequin, it is arduous to understand how they may stack as much as the BMW iX3 and even current rivals just like the Audi Q6 e-tron. However Mercedes wants this automotive to be successful. The corporate’s first EQC was imagined to make it to the U.S., however by no means did for a variety of causes. Its next-gen EQ vehicles did, however largely flopped. Now, it is placing its latest expertise into probably the most hotly contested EV segments at a pivotal second for the corporate. On this trade, you’ll be able to’t whiff 3 times in a row.
The excellent news for Mercedes is that, on paper, the GLC appears like the fitting factor on the proper time. It presents nice vary and specs in a rising phase, backed by a model folks like and with styling that is most typical. The corporate simply must ship on the software program and on worth.
We’ll discover out if Mercedes can pull it off subsequent 12 months, with deliveries of the GLC 400 4Matic commencing in late 2026 and GLC 300+ gross sales kicking off in early 2027.
Contact the creator: Mack.Hogan@insideevs.com
