BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC: which of these posh electric SUVs is best?

If you’re in the market for a posh electric SUV then your choice just got a whole lot harder. Sure, the Audi Q6 e-tron, Lexus RZ, Polestar 3 and Porsche Macan Electric are all decent cars, but 2026 has brought the two biggest hitters to the forefront. I’m talking, of course, about the BMW iX3 and the Mercedes GLC Electric.

The iX3 is one of the most eagerly-anticipated cars of recent times, heralding the beginning of BMW’s ‘Neue Klasse’ – a set of components intended to make its next generation of electric cars the highest-tech, longest-range and most enjoyable to drive of all.

But Mercedes isn’t afraid of a challenge – it already sells some of the longest-range EVs, and the new GLC is absolutely loaded with tech intended to give the potential iX3 owner something to think about.

I’ve driven both cars – attending the UK launch of the iX3 followed a week later by the European launch of the GLC Electric. I’ve tried them both on a variety of roads, poked around every inch of the interiors, and taken note of how efficient each one is. So which one is best?

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BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC Electric: design

This is a tricky one to start with, because I think both cars are actually very ugly. The BMW has that pinched-up grille at the front – it looks like the front teeth of a hamster – while the Mercedes has a gaudy upright grille instead. Both can be backlit for even more visual impact.

There are nice features if you look for them, though. The iX3 has a pleasingly seamless effect, achieved by eschewing lots of the supplemental trim that many cars feature around their window frames or on their doors. It makes for a really clean aesthetic. The Mercedes, meanwhile, makes use of the iconic three-pointed star logo by mirroring it in its head and taillights, which is a cool effect.

Styling is personal taste, but I think the Macan Electric, Polestar 3 and upcoming Volvo EX60 are all far better-looking than either of these two cars.

Winner: draw

BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC Electric: interior styling and tech

Both cars take very different approaches here. The iX3 uses the first iteration of BMW’s new ‘Panoramic iDrive’. What that means is you get a par-for-the-course – if slightly oddly shaped – central infotainment screen, but that the driver display has been replaced with a narrow display that runs the full width of the dashboard just below the windscreen.

The panoramic display is fully configurable and can show a variety of widgets alongside your usual speed, range and navigation info. It’s really cool, and acting like an artificial horizon means your eyes don’t have to refocus so far when glancing away from the road. I reckon it makes the optional head-up display pretty pointless.

The iX3’s central screen doesn’t do anything groundbreaking besides its funny parallelogram shape, but it’s super-slick and easy to use. As for the rest of the interior, it’s a mixed bag. I like the textile finish on the dash, but material quality elsewhere isn’t the finest – the indicator stalks and plastics lower down on the dashboard feel particularly cheap and nasty.

The Mercedes GLC Electric doesn’t really go in for dashboard styling – it’s mainly just a big slab used to hold the screens. Base models get three separate displays, including one for the front passenger, but the real talking point comes higher up the range – where you get a truly mammoth 39.1-inch screen that stretches the full width of the dashboard.

Honestly, it’s no more distracting than a regular screen – the passenger side of the display switches off if you look at it for too long while driving, so for the most part you’re just interacting with the centre third like you would with an ordinary infotainment screen. Mercedes MBUX software is some of the slickest around, and it’s loaded with cool features like the augmented reality navigation which projects directions onto a live camera feed.

The built-in voice assistant is also slightly better in the GLC Electric than it is in the BMW, and there are some features you might find more or less useful depending on your temperament – built-in Microsoft Teams, for example. I’m just glad Carwow uses Google for meetings…

The huge screen is undeniably impressive, but it does rather take any subtlety away from the interior, it’s a real fingerprint-magnet, and the effect is overwhelming. So I prefer the BMW’s slightly more conventional and less overkill take on high-tech interior styling. Apart from the hideously ugly steering wheel, that is.

Winner: BMW iX3

BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC Electric: practicality

This one’s quite clear-cut. Both cars are pretty practical. The iX3 has a good amount of rear-seat space – room for a six-foot adult to sit behind a driver of a similar size, and with a nice flat floor so there’s no obstruction to where your feet go.

The Mercedes is similar, but there’s even more space – it’s a longer car, with even more rear legroom.

The same is true of the boot, with the BMW providing a useful 520 litres of space – but that’s eclipsed by the GLC’s 570-litre space. Head up front, and the iX3 has a mere 17 litres of storage space under the bonnet (just enough for the charging cable and not much else) while the GLC has a huge 128-litre space. It’s even accessed by just pressing the bonnet emblem, rather than rooting round in the footwell.

The GLC is a slightly larger car, but there’s only a couple of inches in it, so in practicality terms it’s the clear winner.

Winner: Mercedes GLC

BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC Electric: performance, range, charging and efficiency

	Battery capacity	Max range	Efficiency (claimed)	Power	0-62
BMW iX3	108kWh	500 miles	4.6 mi/kWh	469hp	4.9s
Mercedes GLC	94kWh	405 miles	4.3 mi/kWh	482hp	4.3s

The two cars trade blows when it comes to their specs. The GLC is a little more powerful and therefore faster, but the iX3 has the true headline – 500 miles of range is a pretty compelling number, and it’s not exactly what you’d call slow.

But can either of these cars manage these figures in the real world? Well, early reports and my own experience suggest that the iX3 manages around 3.3 – 3.6 miles per kWh in mixed driving. That equates to a real-world range of 350-390 miles per charge – not quite the headline figure, but still quite impressive. On a gentle run, I managed to eke out nearly 4.0 miles per kWh, but that number quickly descended once I hit the motorway.

I’ve not yet tested the GLC in the UK, but I kept a close eye on the trip computer while I was driving it at the international launch in Portugal. I saw quite a disappointing 2.9 miles per kWh, though the route alternated between motorways and fun, twisting B-roads – so wasn’t entirely representative. Even if the GLC could match the iX3’s efficiency, which seems likely, you’re looking at a very top-end figure of about 340 miles – and most of the time, less than 300 miles per charge.

The BMW can also top up faster, though once again – there’s not much in it. Its 400kW rate beats the Mercedes’ 330kW, but quoted charge times are within minutes of each other – it’s diminishing returns once you get over a certain charge rate. And the truth is, the majority of chargers in the UK are below 200kW, so it only makes a difference if you’re topping up at the very few ultra-rapid chargers dotted about the country.

Winner: BMW iX3

BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC Electric: price and specs

The iX3 is the cheaper car here, but only by a few thousand pounds. The twin-motor 50xDrive model, which is the only model we’ve driven so far, costs from £58,755 at the time of writing. The GLC comes in at £60,350.

Going up in the range it’s more difficult to compare, because the GLC Electric has more trim levels available while the iX3 has more items available as optional extras. If you tick absolutely every box on both cars, the top-end models still have about the same distance between them as the entry-level cars – but to achieve parity, you will have to tick some optional extra boxes on the iX3 that you wouldn’t in the GLC.

Items available on both include premium sound systems, large sunroofs, posh head-up displays, optional larger wheels and different coloured interiors, and advanced driver aids and parking packages. There are also slightly more frivolous items, such as the illuminated grilles…

Both manufacturers have promised new, rear-wheel drive entry models will hit the range, but BMW’s actually revealed one – the new ‘40’ model has 395 miles of range and starts from £53,520. This could well be the pick of the range if you don’t want the extra power.

The iX3 offers just a little bit more for a little bit less money, so it wins this round.

Winner: BMW iX3

BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC Electric: driving and comfort

Starting with the BMW, I felt quite cocooned in the driver’s seat with a high centre console and that Panoramic iDrive display effectively raising the base of the windscreen. But the windows are large so it feels light and airy, and I had a decent view out. The GLC might be all screen, but it’s lower down on the dashboard and actually not that obtrusive. The visibility is decent, but neither of these cars feels like it has a particularly high and commanding driving position.

Around town, the iX3’s sporty suspension means I felt lumps and bumps quite a lot more than I did in the GLC. All the GLC models I drove had the optional air suspension, which does help, but this is a really well-priced option in the UK and even comes with rear-wheel steering. This makes the GLC as manoeuvrable as any small hatchback, which is so useful in tight car parks or when navigating little side streets.

The BMW has the more natural-feeling steering, though, so I found it easier to place on the road. I also found its assistance tech a little better-calibrated, and easier to turn off.

Once I got onto the motorway I was struck by just how quiet the GLC is. Honestly, I’ve driven a Rolls-Royce Ghost and I’m not convinced the GLC was any louder than that. All you hear is a little bit of road noise, but the only reason it’s noticeable is because everything else is so hushed. The BMW isn’t exactly noisy, but it’s like Piccadilly Circus next to the GLC.

However, the BMW wins back serious points when you hit a twisty road. It feels much more planted in the bends, and the steering gives you more of an idea of what the car’s front wheels are doing. The GLC isn’t bad, but I didn’t enjoy driving it like I did the iX3 – it leans more in the corners and just isn’t as fun.

Winner: BMW iX3

BMW iX3 vs Mercedes GLC Electric: verdict

These two cars are both very good, but there’s a clear winner. The BMW iX3 is a fantastic electric SUV – it’s great to drive, has a hugely impressive range, and costs less than the equivalent GLC. The Mercedes is bigger, heavier, and filled with more tech, but it’s just not as efficient, as enjoyable to drive or as easy to live with.

However, the Mercedes does have its plus points – it’s more practical and extremely comfortable, so if you have more to carry on a regular basis or perhaps just prefer a relaxing drive to an engaging one, the GLC might be the pick of the range for you. For me, the BMW’s extra range, driving dynamics and more conventional interior are more appealing, though.

That’s why the BMW iX3 wins this test.

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