After lukewarm-at-best reception to the design of its electric EQ models, and a lineup that's very attractive but less bold and traditionally Mercedes-Benz in look than what longtime customers want, the German automaker is making a big pivot with its next-generation designs. Mercedes is still committed to going electric, though with a bigger focus on hybrids for now, and new models like the third-gen CLA that are offered with both EV and internal combustion powertrains will have extremely similar designs. But the CLA is still a slippery compact four-door coupe with styling that doesn't appeal to many Mercedes faithful.
With the next-gen GLC crossover, which will be fully electric and sit alongside the existing gas-powered GLC, Mercedes is going back to its design roots. Instead of a blacked-out panel like on the EQS, the electric GLC (officially called GLC with EQ Technology) has a large silver panel inspired by the imposing eggcrate grilles of Benzes like the 600 Grosser, W114 E-Class and W108 S-Class. Only on the GLC, instead of the little squares being air holes, they will be illuminated. Now that's fun.
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This Is The Future
It's an even bolder grille than the huge ones on the current GLS, super upright and taking up nearly the entire height of the front end. A thick, chamfered chrome band runs the entire edge of the panel, as on those classic models, and the inner contour is illuminated. The bottom quarter of the grille is open for cooling, giving the car a bit of a smile, and there are two thin intakes on either side of the logo, echoing the bars on current Mercedes grilles. The silver panels have a "smoked-glass-effect lattice structure" that gives the impression of that classic eggcrate mesh, and as an option the grille will be backlit with 942 different lit squares. The squares will be animated, of course, like the stars on the CLA. And if you go for the illuminated option, the center star is illuminated, as are other inner contour lines.
The GLC has a large three-pointed star emblem in the center of the grille, but it's pretty easy to imagine how a grille design would look like with no star and a hood ornament instead. Like, maybe, on the VLE van that was previewed by the Vision V concept, or on versions of the electric next-gen E-Class that will debut in 2027. This throwback grille, or a similar interpretation of it, will appear on facelifts of current models like the GLE and the S-Class, which have been spied with more upright front ends. Basically every model will be gaining star-shaped headlights like the ones on the CLA, too.
Speaking about the new grille, chief designer officer Gorden Wagener said, "Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC, it redefines the face of our brand. It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognizable." Mercedes describes the grille as evolving from "a functional feature of the combustion-vehicle era" to "an illuminated work of art, conveying prestige through reduction, clean lines and technology."
Coming In September
The electric GLC will be the first model on Mercedes' long-awaited MB.EA platform, which will also underpin other compact and midsize EVs like the next-gen C-Class sedan. Unlike the CLA's MMA platform, it's not engineered to have an internal combustion engine. It'll have a 3.1-inch-longer wheelbase than the current GLC, a larger cargo area and a frunk with 4.5 cubic feet of space, optional air suspension and rear-wheel steering, and a "seamless" new iteration of the dash-spanning Hyperscreen with the latest MB.OS operating system. Thanks to its 800-volt architecture it'll be able to charge at up to 320 kW, gaining over 160 miles of range in ten minutes, and with a drag coefficient of just 0.24 it should have a pretty long range. It'll be able to tow up to 5,291 pounds.
Mercedes will unveil the GLC with EQ Technology on September 7 at the Munich auto show, and our own Andy Kalmowitz will be there with Mercedes to learn all about it.
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