Mercedes GLC: E-power for the bestseller

The GLC is Mercedes' global bestseller. The fact that the mid-range SUV is now also to be sold with a purely electric drive is correspondingly delicate. Porsche experienced this with its bestseller Macan - the result: a debacle. The all-electric new edition met with strict rejection from customers. It was only after a sharp drop in sales that Porsche reacted and reactivated the combustion engine.

Mercedes is circumnavigating the potential problem by providing the existing GLC with combustion engine with an independent electric model. With a base price starting at 79500 francs, the 360 kW/489 hp all-wheel drive 400 4Matic version is only just above the comparable 400e 4Matic hybrid model, which is available from 77300 francs. And it is therefore in direct striking distance of its main competitor, the BMW iX3, which trumps the new GLC in some important areas in the comparable 50 xDrive version from 78,000 francs.

A neck-and-neck race
For example, in terms of range: depending on the equipment variant, the Mercedes has up to 713 WLTP kilometers - the BMW has 805. Or when it comes to charging: a super-fast 330 kW for the Stuttgart model and an even faster 400 kW for the Munich model. However, there are also areas in which the Swabian is ahead, such as acceleration to 100 km/h (GLC: 4.3 seconds, BMW: 4.9 seconds). Or in the cockpit, where in the GLC the gigantic display takes up almost the entire width of the interior, while in the BMW there is only a narrow display strip below the windshield across the cockpit, supplemented by a large touchscreen in the center console.

Sophisticated and comfortable
On the road, the new GLC proves to be a mature and very comfortable vehicle. At 4.85 meters in length, the electric vehicle is a full 14 centimeters longer than the combustion version and offers correspondingly better space. Compared to the iX3, the Swabian is also a little longer and, with 570 to 1740 liters plus 128 liters of frunk, clearly offers more cargo space than the BMW.

As a result, the new GLC is extremely comfortable, with really comfortable, well-supported front and rear seats. The fine combination of air suspension and the 4.5-degree rear-axle steering is also worth mentioning: the GLC is comfortable and sporty at the touch of a button, but always extremely agile. All in all, the new electric model is an all-round success - whether it will be enough for another success story remains to be seen.