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By Jonathan Crouch

The GLC with EQ Technology delivers a big leap in EV tech for Mercedes. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 54

The GLC with EQ Technology puts the advanced Mercedes MB.EA bespoke EV platform to good use at the premium end of the sector for mid-sized electric SUVs. It's aggressively styled, astonishingly sophisticated inside and sets new standards for EV range in a Mercedes SUV. But one key rival, BMW's iX3, will offer stiff opposition.

Backgroundword count: 156

Mercedes calls this GLC 'with EQ Technology' a key part of its current ramped-up product offensive. For some, that adjective might be one of those that springs to mind in describing the divisive front end of this mid-sized electric SUV, but Stuttgart clearly wanted it to stand out - as it needs to at the premium end of an over-crowded class. Effectively, it's a successor to the old EQC, which was quite separate to the combustion GLC models it sold alongside for five years. Despite its name, the GLC 'with EQ Technology' is equally different in almost every way from its fossil-fuelled counterpart. And, unlike with the old EQC, the all-new MB.EA bespoke EV platform has a much faster-charging 800V electrical architecture, with a bigger battery allowing for much longer drive range. All of which this car will very much need to take on its arch rival, BMW second generation iX3. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 290

Even back at the launch of the first generation EQC in 2019, Mercedes was already working on a much better mid-sized electric SUV; this GLC 'with EQ Technology' model is it. The key to the step forward this car represents lies with its new generation MB.EA bespoke 800V EV platform, which has been developed to operate with a choice of five different mainstream powertrains. From launch, the brand was offering the most powerful mainstream variant, the GLC 400 4MATIC with EQ Technology, which has a dual motor set-up developing 489hp. That's energised by a 94kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery with a range of up to 406 miles (way better than most competitors, but still 94 miles short of a rival BMW iX3 xDrive 50). The Mercedes though, offers two optional features borrowed from the next class up. There's an air suspension system originally developed for the S-Class limo; and rear-wheel steering which reduces the turning circle to 11.2m. 0-62mph takes 4.3s en route to 130mph. There's lots of efficiency-enhancing engineering technology here. Like the two-speed gearbox that maximises acceleration and frugality. And the permanent magnet synchronous motor on the rear axle and the new front motor that can disconnect seamlessly (between 60 and 75mph) when not required. Also clever is the 'One box' braking system designed to better blend friction and regen braking. Regen braking is nearly always used for stopping and is controllable via four settings - 'D-' (maximum), 'D', 'D+' and 'D auto'. All of this is influenced by the car's AI-driven 'super brain' which is capable of 254 trillion operations per second that create 'a seamless and intelligent journey'. This EV can tow too - in this '400' form up to 2,400kg, 400kg more than a PHEV GLC 300e.

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