Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric

The Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric has been launched in India and this electric SUV gets all the bells and whistles you can expect from a modern day German luxury car along with a powerful and a sensible electric powertrain.

It competes with the Tesla Model Y in the Indian market and will also be a rival to the BMW iX3 once it arrives in our country. We've recently experienced the GLC Electric, and here is what we think about the package.

Like other modern Mercedes-Benz models, the GLC Electric also focuses more on bling with a standout design and an upright stance, making it instantly recognisable from a distance.

Upfront, the one thing that grabs the most attention is the massive grille you get. But it's not just the size which catches the eye.

This huge grille takes up almost the entire fascia and has 942 small illuminated dots which make different patterns when you lock or unlock the car.

This gives the GLC Electric a distinct look and these lighting elements look great at night. Next to the grille you get LED headlamps with Mercedes-Benz Star-shaped LED DRLs. And the overall look is finished by faux air dams and a slim front bumper.

In profile, you realise that the electric GLC is longer than its ICE (internal combustion engine) counterpart. In fact, it is also taller, wider, and has a longer wheelbase. Here you spot the smooth and curved panels, some sharp character lines, and stylish alloy wheels with sizes up to 21-inches.

At the back, what catches the eye is the LED taillamp setup which is housed in a thick gloss black strip. Towards the edges, you get Mercedes-Benz Star-shaped lighting elements and the slim lighting strips move towards the inside and meet at the brand's logo.

You get a curved tailgate, reflectors placed next to the boot lip, and a much chunkier rear bumper compared to the front.

The India-spec GLC Electric is available in 6 exterior colour options: Obsidian Black, Opalite White Bright, Lavender Silver, Patagonia Red Metallic, Sheer Blue, and Alpine Grey Solid.

Out of all these shades, the Lavender Silver looks the most beautiful in person and will definitely standout on the roads.

Inside the electric GLC you get a cabin which feels straight out of the future. The cabin is available in three themes: Black, Beech Brown, and Ivory Beige. The Beech Brown is the one which feels the most rich and sophisticated.

Once you get inside and look at the dashboard, you see that instead of a dashboard you get an end-to-end spanning screen. You also get piano black, wooden elements, and brushed aluminum inserts all around the cabin for more contrast.

All the touch points in the cabin are covered in soft touch leatherette padding and every other element has a smooth and luxurious finish. Mercedes-Benz has added ambient lighting in every single corner of the car which makes the cabin feel even more premium and futuristic. 

The front seats of the GLC electric offer ample space and adjustability. Both front seats also get a soft massage function and both front seats are also heated. Seat ventilation, however, is not on offer.

The rear seats offer good space for three passengers with enough width to keep shoulder overlaps to the minimum. However, with the floor being raised, the second row passengers have to compromise on underthigh support and have to sit with their knees slightly up.

In terms of features, you get everything you can expect around this price. The highlight is a 39-inch display on the dashboard which houses the touchscreen infotainment system, the digital driver's display, and the front passenger display all in a single housing.

This screen supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and it is paired with a 15-speaker 4D Burmester sound system. Both the central touchscreen and the passenger display are separated but there are no bezels in between.

The passenger display also allows the front passenger to watch movies or use YouTube. Currently it only has a browser and the YouTube App, but Mercedes-Benz plans to add more steaming apps later with updates.

You can also attend video calls and meetings on this screen using a camera placed inside the car. This camera can also be used to select user profiles and it monitors the driver as well. So if the driver is looking at the passenger display for more than 1.4 seconds, the passenger display will be turned off to avoid distractions.

The cabin also has a photochromatic panoramic glass roof which does not get a physical shade. But you can make it transparent or opaque and select out of 9 sections as well which you want to change. So half of the roof can be seen through while the other half can remain opaque.

This glass roof also has 162 star logos which are illuminated via ambient lighting.

Other features include powered and heated front seats, multi-zone climate control, dual wireless phone chargers, a powered tailgate, electrically foldable rear seats, and an AI assistant.

In terms of passenger safety, the GLC electric offers multiple airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill hold and descent control, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

You also get a 360-degree camera with a total of 8 cameras on the outside (Including 2 ADAS ones) which can give you both 2D and 3D views and has a transparent bonnet function as well.

The Level-2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) setup uses 5 radars and 12 ultrasonic sensors and offers features like lane keep assist, emergency steering assist, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot alert, adaptive cruise control, and autonomous emergency braking.

While the GLC electric gets multiple battery packs options globally, the India-spec version only gets the bigger one in an all-wheel drive setup. Here are the details:

With the GLC electric, you get enough range for your city and intercity commutes, and it is also more powerful and quicker than its ICE counterpart.

The GLC Electric also supports DC fast charging of up to 330 kW and it can get a range of 300 km with a charge of just 10 minutes.

The GLC Electric has managed to pack great range, a powerful drivetrain, and a lot of features in a very premium and futuristic looking package that caters to all your needs and that too without any major compromise.

The only thing left to know is how the car drives and how it handles our diverse Indian roads, and we'll update that information here as soon as we drive the new Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric. Till then, stay tuned to CarDekho.