Mercedes opens the basement of the electric GLC — and the entry ticket just dropped
The electric GLC is no longer just the pricey 400 4MATIC. Mercedes opens the lower floor with two new variants — and the entry ticket suddenly looks reasonable.
Mercedes-Benz has opened the lower floor of the electric GLC. The pricey GLC 400 4MATIC, until now the only way into the new MB.EA-M platform, has been joined by two more variants: the rear-wheel-drive GLC 250 and the all-wheel-drive GLC 300 4MATIC. And the entry ticket to an electric GLC suddenly stopped being scary.
The GLC 250 is the most accessible entry point. From €64,736, 354 hp, 0–100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, top speed of 210 km/h. For a premium family SUV, those numbers are more than enough. What matters here isn’t the sprint — it’s range, silence, and charging speed.
The GLC 300 4MATIC starts at €68,306 and adds all-wheel drive to the recipe. 422 hp, 0–100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, the same 210 km/h top speed. This version makes more sense for anyone who drives often in winter, heads out of town, or simply doesn’t want to sweat on wet tarmac.
Both new variants share a battery with a usable capacity of 85 kWh. The flagship GLC 400 4MATIC packs a bigger one — 94 kWh. But when it comes to charging speed, the gap is almost invisible: the 800-volt architecture and DC charging power of up to 320 kW on the new variants (330 kW on the GLC 400) do their job. A 10–80% top-up takes about 22 minutes. And ten minutes on a fast charger adds up to 265 km of range to the GLC 250 and 255 km to the GLC 300 4MATIC. Standard onboard AC charging is 11 kW, with an optional 22 kW upgrade.
On WLTP range, the GLC 250 promises up to 650 km, the GLC 300 4MATIC up to 616 km. For reference, the GLC 400 4MATIC tops out at 715 km — and that’s the level where an electric crossover stops chaining the driver to the next charging stop.
And the new GLC breaks the “EV equals compromise” stereotype. Optional AIRMATIC air suspension, rear-axle steering with up to 4.5 degrees of angle, a 128-litre frunk, a towing capacity of up to 2.4 tonnes — all of it is available even on the cheapest versions. Standard equipment includes a panoramic roof, LED headlights, a rear-view camera, climate control, and an assistance package. The most eye-catching digital showpiece, though, costs extra: the signature MBUX Hyperscreen with its 99.3 cm display stretched across the entire dashboard sits inside optional packs.
Orders for the GLC 250 and GLC 300 4MATIC are already open in Germany. Two more variants will follow: a long-range GLC 300+ with the bigger 94 kWh battery and an entry version with a 64 kWh pack. Mercedes is building out the electric GLC the same way it once built out the petrol one — not with a single flagship but with a whole fan of versions for different budgets and scenarios. Only this time, from the bottom up.