Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric Review & Prices

If we can just draw your attention away from the massive grille on the front, you might be interested to know that the new Mercedes GLC Electric gets a seriously long electric range.

That’s thanks to it sitting on an all-new electric car chassis, which means it is able to cover more than 400 miles on one charge. That’s no doubt impressive, but the elephant in the room is that, such is the march of progress, the upcoming BMW iX3 promises to go even further.

As soon as we get the chance, we’ll put both to the test to see which gets the most range in the real world, but until then let’s focus on the design, which is going to be the most controversial aspect of the new GLC Electric.

The massive, upright grille harks back to classic Mercedes saloons, but it gets more modern the closer you look, thanks to a backlighting effect of 942 individual little squares which are lit by 140 LED units. It’s certainly striking, although not everyone’s going to love it, and it can look a bit awkward compared to the rest of the GLC Electric’s smooth and swoopy look.

Mercedes GLC Electric: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 406 miles
Efficiency: 4.3 miles per kWh
Battery size: 94kWh
Max charge speed: 330kW
Charge time AC: 12hrs 45mins (7.4kW)
Charge time DC: 22min (10-80%)
Charge port location: Right rear
Power output: 482hp

Inside, there’s yet more drama, thanks to an optional ‘Hyperscreen’ dashboard which uses a massive touchscreen, stretching a full 39.0 inches — basically the whole width of the cabin. It’s designed to look seamless and there’s built-in AI tech from both Microsoft and Google. Basic models get a more traditional big central screen with separate driver’s instrument panel.

It will be sold alongside the current GLC — which sticks with conventional petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid power — and the new GLC Electric is hugely roomy inside, much more so than the old EQC electric SUV that it effectively replaces.

Although the 570-litre boot isn’t the biggest around, it’s certainly competitive, and it’s backed-up by a massive 138-litre storage area in the nose, which means you won’t have to move luggage and shopping out of the way to get to your charging cables.

For now, the GLC Electric comes with a 94kWh battery, which contributes to that lengthy 406-mile range, although adding extra equipment can impact that range quite a bit — the ritzy Premiere Edition can ‘only’ manage a claimed 393 miles.

That 406-mile range is also considerably less than that offered by the new BMW iX3, which stretches to just over 500 miles in theory. However, the only GLC Electric on sale so far is the two-motor, four-wheel drive GLC 400 with 482hp, so it’s quite possible that a less powerful, single-motor version could get closer to the BMW. Mind you, there will also be a super-fast AMG model too, so expect that to have much, much less range.

That range can also be topped up very quickly, thanks to an ultra-fast 330kW DC fast-charging setup, which means you can do a 10-80% top-up in as little as 22 minutes, if you can find a fast-enough charging point.

We’ll update this page with our verdict once we’ve driven it, but in the meantime you can check out the latest Mercedes GLC Electric deals and Mercedes lease deals. You can also browse used Mercedes from our network of trusted dealers, and when the time comes you can sell your car through Carwow, too.

As you might expect, this is not going to be a cheap car. Mercedes models often tend to be more expensive than the competition, and the GLC Electric is no exception. It’s a full £6,000 more expensive than the existing GLC, and it’s a little more expensive than BMW’s new iX3, which does have considerably more range. However, the entry-level GLC Electric is actually slightly more affordable than the basic Audi Q6 e-tron, and that’s despite the Mercedes having a bit more range.