Smarter, sharper and coming out strong.

USUAL thing: When speaking of this car, ‘GLC EQ’ or alternately ‘the electric GLC’, is just fine.

Because, yes, the full name -Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology - is just too much of a mouthful.

Plus, condensing it doesn’t lessen the importance of what it represents. A new chapter.

In synopsis, a fully electric five-seater version of its sales-leading SUV with a 94kWh battery, new generation electric motors, using an 800 volt fully new platform called MB.EA that offers ultra-fast charging which allows it to add 303km in just 10 minutes.

A car that Mercedes’ regionally has confirmed will be here in the second half of next year, likely as not being sold alongside the existing GLC, at least for a while. It’s a sirecxt competitor to BMW’s iX3, revealed just days ago, also due in NZ around mid-2026.

Now it’s facing up without disguise, the most obvious talking point is … well, the most obvious feature. That grille. Actually, a backlit shield, as it has no functional purpose.

It’s all about a future-forward car looking back to history. Mercedes styling boss Gordon Wagener has referenced the 1950s 'Ponton' Mercedes sedan as the inspiration. The PR spiel is that sit “embodies the classic proportions of a Mercedes-Benz midsize SUV in a modern and captivating way.”

But, anyway, onto the technology. The first out the door GLC EQ 400 here is four-wheel-drive with 365kW and has a range of up to 713km on one charge.

A heat pump is standard. The charging system can handle up to 330kW. For Europe, Mercedes is working on its own fast chargers, and is opening up 'Mercedes-Benz Charging Parks' at which customers can reserve a charger ahead of time. The car has vehicle-to-load charging and vehicle-to-grid capability.

It’s also a software-defined vehicle. the new MB.OS software doesn't just control the cabin displays and all their background electronic stuff, but also manages and controls the whole car from the digital driver aids to the battery conditioning.

Mercedes says that at the heart of the system is an 'AI-driven superbrain' which can run 254 trillion operations per second. The idea is that the system learns from you and adapts automatically to your preferences, and Mercedes reckons that its constant over-the-air software improvements mean that the GLC EQ will actually get better as it ages.

The electric GLC has a wheelbase that's 84mm longer than that of the combustion GLC, and the result is 13mm more legroom and 46mm more headroom up front, while rear passengers achieve 47mm more legroom and 17mm more headroom. The 570-litre boot expands to 1740 litres with the back seats folded. The nose contains a 128-litre 'frunk'.

Big touchscreens are a Benz electric car thing. GLC’s is one-metre-wide. The other massive glass element is a 'Sky Control' panoramic glass roof that darkens through nine individual sections at the touch of a button, and which optionally has 162 light-up Mercedes stars embedded in the glass for nighttime driving. The interior is properly plush, of course, but don’t fear for bovines - none were harmed. The car has imitation leather, approved by the Vegan Association. The German bad back association has signed off on the seats.

The new steering wheel moves away from touch-sensitive pads and back to proper buttons. A win for customer feedback.

GLC EQ will option with adaptive air suspension, borrowed from the S-Class sedan, and rear-wheel steering too.

It has high-tech LED headlights, which Benz swears are highly energy efficient, with an active cornering function that takes cues from the sat-nav so as to know which is the right way to point. The brakes have such strong regenerative braking Mercedes reckons that'll be enough for 99 percent of all braking situations, leaving the traditional pads and discs to cover emergencies.

Towing is a thing. It can cope with 2400kg on a braked trailer, and the tow-hitch itself can cope with a 100kg down load, so you can attach a bike rack. If you actually decide to head off-road? Yup, it’ll cope with that, also.

There’s a Terrain Mode in the selectable driving modes, and a 'transparent bonnet' feature for the surround-view camera system.