Mercedes GLC Review: Mercedes’ most important EV in India yet

A familiar sight on roads globally, the GLC has become one of Mercedes-Benz’s most important cars. It sits at the heart of the company’s SUV line-up and attracts buyers who want a Mercedes without going all the way up to its larger, more expensive models. The all-new electric GLC isn’t just an electric version of the ICE GLC. It is Mercedes’ first major attempt to put its latest EV architecture, software, AI and cabin technology into one of its most commercially important nameplates. Getting this one right is almost imperative for the German marque, and we went to Germany to find out if they hit the mark….

Table of Contents

Design (9/10)

The Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric is a fairly radical departure from the EQ-era Mercedes design philosophy. Instead of looking like a rolling aerodynamic experiment, it adds a meaningful 84mm to the wheelbase of the ICE-powered GLC, while hiding an entirely new 800V electric architecture underneath. It is still shaped by the wind tunnel, though, with Mercedes claiming more than 700km of WLTP range and the ability to charge from 10 to 80% in around 22 minutes when connected to a suitably powerful 330kW DC charger.

The front end is where the GLC really makes its presence felt. The illuminated grille packs 942 individually lit elements, creating animated welcome and farewell sequences around the Mercedes star. It sounds a little theatrical on paper, but looks surprisingly convincing in person, particularly after dark. There is also a frunk underneath the bonnet, which opens by pressing the Mercedes emblem. It is a small touch, but a useful reminder that this isn’t simply an existing petrol SUV with a battery shoved underneath it.

Inside, however, is where Mercedes has gone properly tech-heavy. The headline feature is the enormous 39.1-inch Hyperscreen, which is genuinely one continuous display rather than three screens hiding behind one sheet of glass. It runs Mercedes’ new MB.OS, powered by four NVIDIA-based computing units, and is effectively the central nervous system of the car.

The interface brings together navigation, infotainment, vehicle settings, charging and connected services, while the voice assistant can call upon ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Bing depending on what you ask. I tested it with the admittedly important question of finding the best Butter Chicken in Stuttgart. It came back with recommendations and, rather alarmingly, suggested I have a Lassi with it. German engineering has clearly discovered Indian cuisine.

There is plenty more to geek out over. The panoramic Sky Control roof can be illuminated with different patterns, while the Burmester system gets beautifully machined speaker grilles and, in its 4D configuration, seat-mounted exciters that let you physically feel certain frequencies.

Tech (9.5/10)

If the Hyperscreen is the GLC’s most visible bit of technology, MB.OS is arguably the more important one. Mercedes has built the software around a much more centralised architecture, with the onboard computing hardware handling everything from infotainment to vehicle functions and connected services.

The augmented-reality navigation is one of the genuinely useful features. The Google Maps integration can overlay directional information onto a live view of the road ahead, making unfamiliar junctions and turns considerably easier to understand. This is the sort of technology that sounds gimmicky until you actually use it, at which point conventional arrows suddenly seem rather primitive.

The GLC also takes connected-car technology considerably further with Car-to-Car and Car-to-X communication. If another compatible Mercedes ahead encounters a speed bump, pothole or other road hazard, that information can be shared with your car. Your GLC can then prepare for it before you reach the obstacle and pass relevant information onwards to vehicles behind. The data is processed through Mercedes’ cloud infrastructure, using the car’s onboard eSIM.

ADAS is equally impressive, with a total of 10 cameras feeding the driver assistance systems, and during my drive around Stuttgart they worked eerily well. The GLC maintained distance from traffic, resumed the set speed once the road ahead cleared and recognised road signs reliably, adjusting its behaviour when necessary.

The passenger display is less convincing as a concept. There are obvious questions about what you actually do with a screen that large sitting directly in front of the passenger. I did, however, manage some Angry Birds time. Just because I could and not because I needed it.

The Burmester audio system, as always, is easy to appreciate. You can configure its presentation from immersive and expansive to more direct and intimate, and it remains punchy, transparent and satisfying regardless of the setting. Mercedes has also managed to bring a new level of craftsmanship to its moulded metal grilles, a new direction compared to the perforated ornaments of the previous-gen Mercs. 15 speakers and plenty of power elevate the experience, especially in the inherently quiet cabin of an EV.

Drive (9/10)

The biggest surprise is the tomb-like cabin. This insulation and that silence do more for the perception of luxury than another decorative trim piece ever could. I suspect this will become even more apparent when we eventually get it into the 5 pm rush-hour chaos between Gurugram and Delhi, where road noise, horns and general urban mayhem tend to test the limits of any luxury car.

The GLC 400 4MATIC comes packed with serious performance figures too. Twin motor, 489hp, 800Nm and 0-100kph in 4.3 seconds. Acceleration is, in a word, brutal. Around Stuttgart, however, the local speed restrictions meant I could only bury the accelerator for a second or two before the GLC was already heading into illegal speed territory. It has that instant EV shove where your brain takes a moment to catch up with how quickly the scenery is moving, despite its considerable weight.

There are regen paddles behind the steering wheel, allowing you to tailor how aggressively the car slows when you lift off. At the highest setting, motor deceleration becomes aggressive enough to attempt genuine single-pedal driving. It is useful in traffic and also lets you modulate the car’s behaviour without constantly moving between accelerator and brake.

Steering is accurate rather than particularly feelsome, which is about what you’d expect from a large, technology-laden luxury SUV. The rear-axle steering helps considerably, though, turning the rear wheels by up to 4.5 degrees in the opposite direction to the fronts at lower speeds, effectively shrinking the turning circle. That could be particularly useful in India’s tight mall parking spaces, where large luxury SUVs and badly designed ramps make for a uniquely entertaining combination.

Despite its size and weight, the GLC doesn’t feel cumbersome, though. The low-mounted battery keeps the centre of gravity down, while four-wheel drive gives it plenty of traction when you exploit that 800Nm.

Verdict

The GLC 400 4MATIC Electric is important because it doesn’t feel like Mercedes simply electrified the GLC and called it a day. This is a new generation of Mercedes thinking, combining an 800V architecture with high-performance computing, AI-assisted software, connected-car communication, advanced ADAS and a cabin that is arguably more interesting than the mechanical hardware itself.

For India, the combination of power and a WLTP range of over 700km makes a strong case on paper. More importantly, the longer wheelbase, exceptional refinement and sheer quantity of technology give it a distinct advantage over the combustion GLC and competition from Munich.

The real question will be price. Mercedes has already indicated that the electric GLC will sit above its ICE counterpart, but if the Indian version manages to preserve most of this technology while delivering anything close to its claimed range, it could be one of the more convincing luxury EVs to arrive here.

Editor’s Rating: 9 / 10

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