Mat Watson reviews the new Mercedes GLC Electric: Why you should buy one, and two reasons to avoid it
Car changing is a big deal
Mat Watson has been driving the new Mercedes GLC EV. He reckons it’s a comfy, practical and high tech electric SUV which is let down in two major places.
This is the new Mercedes GLC Electric, and it’s an alternative to the BMW iX3 and Audi Q6 e-tron. I’ve been driving it to see how it stacks up against that stiff competition, and while it’s a very comfy and luxurious mid-sized SUV it’s by no means perfect.
I’m going to walk you through the car’s interior, try out its technology, tell you how practical it is and take it out for a drive to help you decide if the Mercedes GLC EV is the right car for you.
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New Mercedes GLC Electric interior and technology
The Mercedes GLC EV is packed with some impressive kit, including the massive 39.0-inch Superscreen fitted to my test car. It spans the entire width of the dashboard, and it’s really bright, responsive and easy to use.
Versions lower down the range get three separate screens which don’t look quite as imposing, and entry-level cars do without the third display. To be honest, I’m not sure how useful the passenger screen really is. It doesn’t display anything if there’s no one sitting next to you, and in reality your passenger will probably just watch films on their phone.
I reckon the BMW iX3’s full-width head-up display looks a bit neater, and I’m also not hugely impressed with the GLC’s build quality. Most of the bits you touch feel nice and plush, like the steering wheel and the centre console, but some bits feel a bit cheap. The air vents are pretty plasticy, as are the interior door handles and the steering column stalks.
It’s a shame really, because there are plenty of things I do like in this cabin. The window switches look cool and feel solid, and the panoramic glass roof has light-up three-pointed star motifs in it which change colour with the ambient lighting.
New Mercedes GLC Electric space and practicality
There’s plenty of storage inside the Mercedes GLC EV. You get a huge cubby in the centre console, big door bins and a pair of cupholders which have clever little grippers for holding smaller bottles and cans.
It’s also really comfortable in the back. There’s a bit more room in the rear seats than you get in a BMW iX3, and the completely flat floor means there’s plenty of room for everyone’s feet. The easy-access ISOFIX points also make it easy to fit a baby seat, although it is a bit tight for three people across the bench.
At 570 litres, the GLC’s boot is 50 litres bigger than the BMW iX3’s. Despite this, I only managed to fit seven carry-on-sized suitcases into the Mercedes whereas the BMW swallowed eight.
However, the GLC EV does have a 128-litre front boot. That’s larger than a Tesla Model Y’s, and you can open it by just pressing the Mercedes logo on the bonnet. Much more civilised than clambering around in the footwell for a bonnet release.
New Mercedes GLC Electric prices and value
The Mercedes GLC EV starts from just over £60,000, but this range-topping car I’m testing costs a whopping £73,000 before options. By comparison, the BMW iX3 starts from £59,000, and that’ll drop to £53,000 when the new rear-wheel drive model goes on sale.
At least you do get plenty of kit as standard. All cars come with a panoramic glass roof, heated front seats, adaptive cruise control and LED headlights.
New Mercedes GLC Electric batteries, range and driving
This car has a 94kWh battery which is supposed to be able to do 393 miles on a charge. Entry-level models are more efficient though, with some versions able to get 405 miles of range. That’s still 95 miles off the BMW iX3 though.
But what’s the reality? Well I took this car on a 40-mile test route, taking in town centres, motorways and country roads, and it managed to return 3.0 miles per kWh. That works out to a real-world range of 282 miles, and that’s not great. I managed to get 325 miles from a BMW iX3 when I tested it, and a Tesla Model Y will do 300 miles.
While the range is a bit underwhelming, I was really impressed with the way the GLC EV drives. It’s super-comfortable over bumps, and it feels really solid through the corners. It may not be quite as agile as an iX3, but it’s a properly relaxing cruiser.
It’s also easy to drive around town thanks to the rear-wheel steering. This gives it a really tight turning circle, making tight U-turns a breeze. The self-parking feature is also really clever. It can pick out a space before you’ve driven past it, and it managed to squeeze me into, and out of, a really tight spot.
New Mercedes GLC Electric: Mat’s final verdict
So then, what’s my final verdict on the Mercedes GLC EV?
This is a car which should be on your shortlist. It’s lovely to drive, it has some high-tech features and it’s really practical. However, the real-world range isn’t very impressive, and some of the interior trims feel a bit cheap for a car this expensive.
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