Although Mercedes-Benz AG produces an electric version of the GLC, the poor-selling EQC never made it stateside. Its abysmal driving range and high starting price would have rendered it uncompetitive against similar crossovers, but Merc will make amends in 2025 for model year 2026.
Joining the four-cylinder GLC, the GLC EV will be far more compelling than its predecessor due to its electric vehicle-centric platform. The jury is out whether the Stuttgart-based automaker will use its upcoming Mercedes-Benz Modular Platform (MMA) for compact applications or the MB.EA for mid- and full-size vehicles. Whatever may be hiding under the bodyshell of the all-new GLC EV, there's no denying the outgoing EQC will be outshined in both driving range and max output.
Our spy photographers recently captured a hi-po version of the GLC EV, with said carparazzi dubbing this fellow the 53 series. You can think of it as the direct rival to the BMW Neue Klasse-based iX3 M60 xDrive, which is due in 2025 as well. Similar to Mercedes, the Bavarian automaker developed a new platform for the X3's zero-emission sibling. The internal combustion-engined sport utility vehicle will soldier on with CLAR underpinnings, which support six cylinders in the case of the X3 compared to the GLC's four pots.
Pictured near the Arctic Circle alongside an EQE SUV 53, the alleged GLC 53 EV – or whatever it may be called – features two electric motors. You can also tell that it's been developed by the mad professors in Affalterbach based on the size of the front brake calipers and the drilled front brake discs.
Curiously, the rear axle is rocking much smaller calipers and rotors, with said rotors being solid rather than drilled. The rears don't brake as hard as the fronts, but even so, bear in mind that an electric vehicle is heavier than a fossil-fuel vehicle with the same footprint due to the high-voltage battery.
Photo: Baldauf
Boasting a larger tire/wheel combo than previously spied prototypes of the GLC EV, the AMG further differentiates itself with a larger grille in the lower section of the front bumper and – of course – a wider track. Gifted with flush door handles, the GLC 53 EV should be positioned below the EQE SUV 53 in terms of peak horsepower and torque. As a brief refresher, the midsizer produces 505 kW and 1,000 Nm with the AMG Dynamic Plus Package.
That's 677 horsepower and 738 pound-feet, figures that are pretty close to those of the four-cylinder turbo plug-in hybrid GLC 63 S E Performance. Supply chain sources indicate that Mercedes-Benz will move production of its flagship zero-emission crossover from MBUSI in Tuscaloosa to the Bremen plant in Germany to make room for the all-new GLC EV, including AMG-branded versions.
Mercedes hasn't confirmed or denied the information, but looking at the bigger picture, it makes a whole lot of sense to assemble a high-volume EV locally due to IRA tax credits. A battery plant is located a few miles down the road, with said battery plant supplying the MBUSI plant for the mid-sized EQE SUV and full-sized EQS SUV.
In addition to the 2026 model year Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG GLC EV, upcoming EVs from the Three-Pointed Star include the C-Class EV, a successor for the GT 4-Door Coupe on the AMG.EA platform, as well as replacements for the GLB, GLA, and CLA on the MMA. In the CLA's case, hybrid setups are planned as well. The all-electric G, on the other hand, rides on a slightly modified platform rather than a completely new architecture.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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