- Mercedes is testing new prototypes of the electric GLC that debuts in 2026.
- Unlike earlier test cars, this one has no thick disguise on the hood and doors.
- The 2027 GLC rides on the MB.EA platform and should handle 320 kW chargers.
Mercedes is getting ready to unleash an army of new cars over the next couple of years, including 17 EVs, and one of the most important is this, the all-new GLC EV. The compact electric SUV is due to launch in 2026, where it will engage in a showroom showdown with BMW’s Neue Klasse iX3, and spy photographers have just spotted it wearing very little camouflage for the first time.
Earlier prototypes of the replacement for today’s EQC featured a brain-scrambling black and white camo wrap under which were hidden various artificial lumps and bumps designed to make it hard for us to imagine how the finished SUV will look.
Related: Mercedes To Roll Out 19 New ICE And 17 EV Models That Will Ditch The Egg Shape By 2027
But these latest images show a more production-ready prototype with none of the disguise blocks on the doors and hood, and a stylish, calming camouflage pattern that looks like wind or running water. Strangely, it also manages to make the front end look a bit like an Acura’s. As our spy photographer says, the SUV seems to be dressed for some teaser photos to be taken, so maybe Mercedes is getting ready to start drip-feeding content like it has with the CLA.
We still can’t see the shape of the window line at the C-pillar, but this new dressed-down test car displays smooth sides, pronounced hips and what appears to be a large traditional-style Mercedes grille that rises above the line of the headlights and creates a bulge in the hood. It looks like Gordon Wagoner and the design team have been looking at Benz’s 1960s sedans and coupes for inspiration.
The brand’s new star-shaped DRLs are evident at the front, and though they’re not illuminated at the back, we’re sure they’ll make an appearance there, too, as they will on the 19 new or facelifted combustion Mercedes cars debuting by 2027.
Unlike models like the revised petrol-power GLE, however, the EQC replacement rides on a very different platform, the new MB.EA architecture. The upcoming electric C-class sedan gets the same gear, but the smaller CLA that debuts this year uses the MMA platform instead.
We’re still expecting commonalities between the two, however, including 800-volt electrics and the ability to handle 320 kW charging, meaning a 10-80 percent fill will take less than 18 minutes. The most efficient models should also be capable of traveling well over 400 miles (644 km) before needing to find one of those chargers.
