The best-selling Mercedes-Benz SUV is going electric, and it’s bringing a new style with it. Mercedes promises the new GLC EV “redefines” the face of the luxury brand. At the same time, it serves as a signal of Mercedes’ powertrain diversification.
It’s no secret that Mercedes-Benz’s somewhat egg-shaped EQ electric cars haven’t caught on. Despite the cars being quite good, sales have been anything but stellar, so the German automaker is starting from a clean slate with its new generation of EVs.
This includes the iconic Mercedes-Benz grille, which is also getting a makeover. Gone are the blacked-out grilles, and in their place, we’ll see a brighter, digital reinterpretation of the classic shapes found on the original Mercedes models.
The recently launched Mercedes CLA was already foreshadowing this change, but the upcoming GLC will show it all. It’s the first car to get the glitzy new grille. The base version of the redesigned grille features a wide, chromed frame, a smoked-glass-effect lattice structure, and contour lighting.
LEDs aplenty
More lighting will be available for a higher price, though. As an option, customers will be able to order an illuminated version with a total of 942 backlit dots that can also be animated. To top it all off, the central star and its surrounding contour will also be illuminated.
“Our new iconic grille is not just a new front for the GLC; it redefines the face of our brand,” said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer at Mercedes‑Benz Group AG. “It is the perfect fusion of lasting design codes reinterpreted for the future, making our cars instantly recognizable.”
Besides the GLC, other models will also get a version of the new grille, including combustion cars. We’ll see the new GLC in all its glory soon, when it debuts at the IAA Mobility show in Munich, Germany, on September 7, 2025.
It has been a while since Mercedes-Benz changed course again and has pivoted from EV-only powertrains to a more diversified offer. It is now poised for a multifaceted product offensive.
The German luxury automaker announced that it will introduce new and significantly updated models to its global showrooms by the end of 2027. We’re talking about 19 ICE cars, most of which are hybrid, and 17 battery-electric models.
With slowing EV sales and uncertainty about future regulations in the EU and the US, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said it was essential to preserve powertrain choices and continue investing in internal combustion technology. Some of those investments will be AMG performance derivatives and mid-cycle updates.
“We’ll have a balanced picture between BEV and ICE. Everything will be available well into the 2030s,” Källenius said at the Mercedes capital markets day in February.
