Mercedes-Benz has announced the official world premiere of the new GLC with EQ technology for the IAA Mobility show in September. Alongside the electric mid-size SUV, the carmaker will showcase three additional 800-volt electric vehicles.
Mercedes refers to the upcoming world premiere of the electric GLC as “the highlight of this year’s show.” As is customary for the Munich-based IAA format, there will be two exhibition locations: in Hall B3 and the Mercedes-Benz Pavilion in the “Open Space” in the city for the general public.
Even though Mercedes only launched the new CLA this year, which, together with the recently announced CLA Shooting Brake, represents a key milestone in the manufacturer’s electric strategy, the electric GLC follows close behind. The CLA marked several strategic changes, including the return to internal combustion-style model naming, adoption of an 800-volt architecture, and a fundamentally new platform approach that enables transfer of individual technology modules across different platforms.
Mercedes still calls the GLC “the new face of the brand,” adding that “purposeful, refined and unmistakably a GLC, it embodies everything expected from the top seller in Mercedes‑Benz’s lineup. Seamlessly continuing the legacy of the GLC in its electric form, the new model is iconic, versatile, intuitive and smooth.”
The success of the electric GLC is likely even more crucial for Mercedes than the CLA. The mid-size SUV has so far been the brand’s top-selling model, albeit only as a plug-in hybrid at most. Accordingly, Mercedes is pursuing a different approach here: while the new CLA on the MMA platform shares a structure between its electric and future combustion-hybrid versions, the GLC is being developed along two separate paths. The “GLC with EQ technology” will debut at IAA Mobility this autumn, while a new combustion-engine generation is also under development. Both models will have near-identical visual designs but differ technically.
Mercedes has not yet released official specifications for the electric GLC. However, figures from prototype testing last winter suggest key targets: a WLTP range of 650 kilometres, 320 kW of DC charging power, and a 320 kW dual-motor all-wheel-drive system (excluding the AMG variant, which is expected to be more powerful). The battery will have a usable capacity of 94.4 kWh. A future entry-level battery, likely using LFP chemistry for cost reasons, is expected, as seen with the CLA.
Mercedes will also use the Munich event to offer “a first look into the new era of its Grand Limousines with a camouflaged prototype of its all-new and all-electric VLE, which will hit the roads in 2026.” The Vision V concept car was unveiled in April at the Auto Show in China, and camouflaged prototypes based on the current van generation have been on the road since last year.
mercedes-benz.com
